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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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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 the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rule — government
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fall — to drop
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — the cause
  12. perch — the fish
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. root — of a word
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bank — for money
  23. plane — a tool
  24. rule — a law

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