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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: land · pass · bat · plane · net · spring · stand · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. land — to come down
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. net — for catching
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — of water
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. plane — a tool
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. stand — to bear
  14. net — in sport
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bat — the animal
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. land — ground
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. land — a country
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. spring — a coil
  24. net — after costs

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