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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.

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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
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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 · cell · straw · hide · ground · track · land

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. track — a path
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. land — to come down
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. track — a song
  11. cell — in biology
  12. ground — crushed
  13. plane — a tool
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. land — a country
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. season — of the year
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. land — ground
  21. track — to keep track
  22. cell — a phone
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — the earth

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