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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · stick · plane · leaves · fall · coach · prune · pop

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. plane — a tool
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. saw — the tool
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. fall — to drop
  7. prune — to trim
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. prune — to trim
  11. saw — the tool
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. fall — the season
  18. pop — music
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pop — soda
  22. fall — to drop
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. pop — to visit

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