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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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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: row · wave · stand · spell · lean · season · clip · plane

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. season — in sport
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. clip — for paper
  5. spell — letters
  6. plane — a tool
  7. row — a line
  8. stand — to bear
  9. lean — thin
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. spell — a short time
  13. row — to paddle
  14. clip — to cut
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. spell — magic
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. season — of the year
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. lean — to bend
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. lean — to rest against

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