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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: drill · mark · object · pound · rest · leaves · plane · season

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — a thing
  4. rest — what's left
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. object — an aim
  7. drill — a practice
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. drill — the tool
  12. rest — a break
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. mark — a grade
  16. season — of the year
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mark — a trace
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. drill — army training
  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