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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 116 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: kid · rash · fork · spring · plane · track · fall · season

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. spring — a coil
  5. season — in sport
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. track — a path
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. track — to keep track
  10. fall — to drop
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. kid — child
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — a series
  15. spring — the season
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. spring — of water
  18. season — of the year
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. kid — to tease
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. track — a song

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