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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: plane · present · hide · cell · kick · season · spell · net

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. net — after costs
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — a phone
  7. present — there
  8. present — a gift
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. spell — letters
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. spell — a short time
  14. net — for catching
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. season — of the year
  17. present — the time now
  18. season — in sport
  19. kick — in football
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. net — in sport
  22. spell — magic
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — in geometry

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