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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.

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: spring · hide · season · plane · fork · bass · toast · squash

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. spring — of water
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. season — of the year
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bass — the fish
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. fork — in a road
  11. spring — a coil
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. squash — to crush
  14. spring — the season
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. season — in sport
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. toast — bread
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bass — low music
  24. squash — the sport

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