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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 116 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: drill · lash · cabinet · leaves · fan · season · plane · last

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. plane — a tool
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. last — to go on
  8. season — in sport
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. drill — army training
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. season — of the year
  13. drill — the tool
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. drill — a practice
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. last — finally
  23. last — final
  24. fan — a supporter

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