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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 120 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — in sport
  3. land — to come down
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. foot — a measure
  11. board — a committee
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. season — of the year
  16. plane — a tool
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. land — a country
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. land — ground

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