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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 120 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: season · straw · last · scale · lie · net · ball · plane

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. net — after costs
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. lie — to recline
  7. net — in sport
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. plane — a tool
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. last — final
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a great time
  14. last — finally
  15. season — of the year
  16. net — for catching
  17. last — to go on
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. scale — in music
  21. season — in sport
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. scale — size or range

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