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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
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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: season · fine · present · ball · clip · plane · ruler · wake

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — all right
  5. season — in sport
  6. wake — a trail
  7. clip — for paper
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. clip — to cut
  12. present — there
  13. season — of the year
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ball — a dance
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. clip — a video
  19. ball — a great time
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. present — a gift
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. plane — a tool

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