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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
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: cold · season · last · bowl · foot · plane · board · bank

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. board — to get on
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bank — for money
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — a tool
  14. cold — not warm
  15. last — finally
  16. season — of the year
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. season — in sport
  19. bank — for money
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. last — final
  22. cold — an illness
  23. board — a committee
  24. foot — a measure

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