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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bore · squash · pit · saw · stick · roll · season · plane

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. squash — the sport
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. season — of the year
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. squash — to crush
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. roll — a list
  13. saw — the tool
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bore — to tire
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. roll — a cake
  19. plane — a tool
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a hole

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