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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: foot · mate · plane · rash · land · lie · season · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. lie — to recline
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. season — in sport
  6. land — ground
  7. plane — a tool
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. foot — a measure
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — to breed
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. land — to come down
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mate — a friend
  19. land — a country
  20. rash — a series
  21. season — of the year
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rash — hasty
  24. game — wild animals

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