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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: key · chair · lean · calf · net · plane · season · bound

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this 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. plane — a tool
  2. net — after costs
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. lean — thin
  7. bound — tied together
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. chair — a leader
  10. net — in sport
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. lean — to bend
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bound — certain
  16. season — in sport
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bound — obliged
  19. key — in music
  20. net — for catching
  21. season — of the year
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. key — for a lock
  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