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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: jam · bark · plane · season · can · bowl · lean · bay

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. plane — a tool
  12. lean — to bend
  13. season — in sport
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. can — a tin
  17. bark — to shout
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. season — of the year
  23. lean — thin
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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