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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: trunk · ball · plane · season · bank · straw · pitcher · lean

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. lean — to bend
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bank — of a river
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. lean — thin
  15. ball — a great time
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bank — for money
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. season — of the year
  20. ball — a dance
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. season — in sport
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bank — for money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com