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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: racket · season · cell · bore · can · saw · plane · cue

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bore — to drill
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. saw — the tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cell — a phone
  8. can — to be able to
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. season — of the year
  17. plane — a tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — in sport
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cue — a signal
  24. can — a tin

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