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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.

Make a worksheet

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

Words on the sheet
468
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: stem · plane · nail · season · leaves · bound · wind · pit

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  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. pit — a hole
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bound — tied together
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bound — certain
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. season — in sport
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bound — obliged
  16. wind — moving air
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. plane — a tool
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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