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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: lean · season · plane · cell · suit · chip · board · bass

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. season — in sport
  3. suit — clothes
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. bass — the fish
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. season — of the year
  10. suit — to fit
  11. cell — in biology
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bass — low music
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — a committee
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. suit — in cards
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. plane — a tool
  22. chip — for betting
  23. cell — a phone
  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