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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 116 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: present · lean · land · season · field · wind · fine · nail

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. field — a subject
  5. lean — thin
  6. season — in sport
  7. present — there
  8. wind — moving air
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. field — for sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. fine — high quality
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. fine — all right
  18. field — farmland
  19. lean — to bend
  20. land — to come down
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. land — a country
  23. land — ground
  24. present — a gift

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