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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: can · lash · leaves · bark · season · plane · field · squash

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. field — a subject
  9. can — a tin
  10. field — for sport
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. can — a tin
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. plane — a tool
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. squash — to crush
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — in sport
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. field — farmland
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bark — to shout
  24. plane — in geometry

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