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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. wind — moving air
  3. can — a tin
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. plane — a tool
  7. wind — moving air
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. field — farmland
  10. can — to be able to
  11. season — of the year
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. net — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. field — a subject
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. season — in sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — for catching
  22. field — for sport
  23. can — a tin
  24. wind — to turn a key

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