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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: stick · fan · season · lean · roll · plane · pass · hand

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. season — of the year
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pass — a permit
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lean — to bend
  8. roll — a cake
  9. plane — a tool
  10. hand — in cards
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. roll — a list
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. hand — help
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. lean — thin
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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