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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.

Make a worksheet

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: leaves · last · march · firm · kick · season · tear · plane

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. season — of the year
  3. last — finally
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. season — in sport
  6. firm — steady
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — a company
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. last — to go on
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. march — music
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. last — final
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. plane — a tool
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — from crying
  22. kick — in football
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. march — the month

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