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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. club — a group
  3. fall — to drop
  4. plane — a tool
  5. fall — the season
  6. face — part of the head
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. march — the month
  11. face — to point toward
  12. fall — to drop
  13. march — the month
  14. club — for golf
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. club — for dancing
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. face — to confront
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. plane — in geometry

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