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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: clip · ball · plane · lie · foot · season · fan · stand

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. foot — a measure
  3. season — of the year
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. clip — to cut
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — a tool
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. lie — to recline
  12. ball — a dance
  13. clip — for paper
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. ball — a great time
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. clip — a video
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. stand — to bear
  21. season — in sport
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. plane — in geometry

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