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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: season · plane · straw · deal · suit · stand · band · cell

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. plane — a tool
  4. band — a ring
  5. deal — to handle
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. band — a music group
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — to fit
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. suit — in cards
  18. season — in sport
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. cell — in biology
  23. stand — to bear
  24. deal — an agreement

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