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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: chest · season · swing · track · plane · staff · safe · root

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. swing — to play on
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. swing — in golf
  6. root — the cause
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. root — of a plant
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. track — to keep track
  15. staff — a stick
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. season — in sport
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. root — of a word
  23. swing — music
  24. season — of the year

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