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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: plane · march · staff · season · land · net · cold · cabinet

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. net — in sport
  3. staff — employees
  4. net — for catching
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. staff — a stick
  8. land — ground
  9. cold — not warm
  10. land — a country
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. staff — employees
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. season — in sport
  16. march — the month
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. net — after costs
  20. cold — an illness
  21. season — of the year
  22. land — to come down
  23. cold — the Cold War
  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