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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: date · cue · season · calf · mine · plane · lean · nail

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — for digging
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cue — for pool
  8. date — the fruit
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. cue — a hint
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cue — a signal
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — thin
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. season — in sport
  22. plane — a tool
  23. season — of the year
  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