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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: season · firm · plane · bound · kick · court · stem · wax

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bound — tied together
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — decided
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. court — of law
  10. wax — to grow
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. firm — steady
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — a tool
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — of the year
  18. bound — certain
  19. court — of a king
  20. bound — obliged
  21. court — for sport
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. season — in sport

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