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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: bulb · fall · can · foot · bark · season · squash · plane

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. foot — a measure
  4. season — of the year
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. can — a tin
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. squash — to crush
  13. can — a tin
  14. bulb — for light
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. season — in sport
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. can — to be able to
  20. fall — to drop
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — to shout
  24. fall — to drop

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