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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 · wave · land · cell · track · plane · cabinet · racket

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. cell — a phone
  3. track — a path
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. land — a country
  6. land — to come down
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cell — in biology
  10. track — to keep track
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. land — ground
  14. season — of the year
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. plane — a tool
  20. track — a song
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. season — in sport

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