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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: kid · racket · plane · wind · leaves · can · season · deal

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. can — a tin
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. wind — moving air
  5. can — to be able to
  6. season — of the year
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. can — a tin
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. wind — moving air
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — a tool
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. deal — to handle
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. kid — to tease
  24. deal — a big deal

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