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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.

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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: hide · pass · plane · net · season · snap · face · stock

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stock — goods
  5. net — for catching
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. net — after costs
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. season — of the year
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. season — in sport
  15. snap — to click
  16. face — to confront
  17. net — in sport
  18. stock — shares
  19. pass — a permit
  20. face — to point toward
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. face — part of the head
  23. plane — a tool
  24. season — to add flavour

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