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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: plane · season · saw · lean · bulb · wind · can · jam

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. season — of the year
  9. wind — moving air
  10. can — a tin
  11. lean — thin
  12. saw — the tool
  13. can — to be able to
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. plane — a tool
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. saw — the tool
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. can — a tin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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