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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: hand · season · net · wave · bay · bore · plane · wound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bore — to tire
  3. net — after costs
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. season — in sport
  6. hand — in cards
  7. net — in sport
  8. hand — help
  9. season — of the year
  10. bore — to drill
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. net — for catching
  20. wound — an injury
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. plane — an aircraft

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