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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: season · racket · hide · lash · rest · leaves · plane · bowl

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. season — of the year
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. season — in sport

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