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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · saw · land · rest · field · toast · pass · plane

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rest — a break
  3. saw — the tool
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. land — ground
  6. season — in sport
  7. land — to come down
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. field — a subject
  10. toast — bread
  11. pass — a permit
  12. field — for sport
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. field — farmland
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rest — what's left
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. season — of the year
  24. rest — what's left

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