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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
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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: plane · staff · leaves · season · field · lie · present · foot

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. present — the time now
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — of the year
  7. plane — a tool
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. staff — a stick
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. field — for sport
  14. present — there
  15. staff — employees
  16. foot — a measure
  17. present — a gift
  18. lie — to recline
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. field — a subject
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. staff — employees
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. field — farmland

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