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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: season · calf · track · ball · bulb · hand · stand · plane

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. plane — a tool
  3. hand — in cards
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bulb — for light
  6. hand — help
  7. track — a song
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. ball — a dance
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — of the year
  17. ball — a great time
  18. season — in sport
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. track — a path
  24. ball — a round shape

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