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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: ground · pit · plane · wound · rock · leaves · season · kick

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. pit — a hole
  3. wound — an injury
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. ground — a position
  7. season — in sport
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. wound — an injury
  10. plane — a tool
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — the earth
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — of the year
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — a stone
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. kick — in football
  24. pit — in a race

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