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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: stand · rock · plane · hand · deal · cabinet · season · rush

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. hand — in cards
  5. stand — to bear
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rush — hurry
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — to handle
  10. hand — help
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rock — a stone
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. season — of the year
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. season — in sport
  24. rock — to move gently

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