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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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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. stand — to bear
  11. game — wild animals
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bulb — for light
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. file — a document
  16. plane — a tool
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — a match
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. march — the month
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. leaves — lets stay

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