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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: hide · band · key · season · plane · field · safe · can

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. field — for sport
  5. season — in sport
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. field — farmland
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. key — in music
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. band — a music group
  12. season — of the year
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. band — a ring
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. key — for a lock
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. field — a subject
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. can — a tin
  23. plane — a tool
  24. season — to add flavour

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