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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: stand · season · plane · bound · kick · temple · fine · bat

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fine — high quality
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bound — obliged
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bound — certain
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. season — in sport
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. stand — to bear
  21. fine — all right
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. kick — in football
  24. bound — tied together

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