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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: lean · rock · hand · season · pass · net · land · bay

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. hand — help
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. season — of the year
  7. land — to come down
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. lean — thin
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. land — a country
  14. net — for catching
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. land — ground
  19. net — in sport
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. rock — music
  23. net — after costs
  24. hand — in cards

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