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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: bore · mine · can · hand · roll · plane · fall · season

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. mine — for digging
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. roll — a cake
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. hand — help
  12. bore — to drill
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. roll — a list
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. hand — in cards
  18. can — a tin
  19. season — of the year
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bore — to tire
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. season — in sport

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