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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 · season · cabinet · clip · pitch · ball · rash · hide

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rash — a series
  3. clip — a video
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. clip — for paper
  7. season — of the year
  8. plane — a tool
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — completely
  11. clip — to cut
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. season — in sport
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. ball — a dance
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rash — hasty
  24. hide — animal skin

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