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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 116 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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. season — in sport
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. pit — a hole
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. stock — shares
  8. plane — a tool
  9. pit — in a race
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. wound — an injury
  12. season — of the year
  13. spell — letters
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. spell — a short time
  17. saw — the tool
  18. spell — magic
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. stock — goods
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — of a tree

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