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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 120 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: plane · wind · bound · rock · season · leaves · squash · dip

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. squash — to crush
  4. dip — to sink
  5. wind — moving air
  6. squash — the sport
  7. rock — music
  8. bound — certain
  9. rock — a stone
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bound — obliged
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. season — of the year
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bound — tied together
  21. season — in sport
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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