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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: plane · row · toast · drill · leaves · swing · court · spring

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — a tool
  3. row — a line
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. court — of law
  6. court — for sport
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — army training
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. swing — to play on
  11. row — to paddle
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. drill — the tool
  14. swing — in golf
  15. court — of a king
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. spring — the season
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — of water
  23. swing — music
  24. toast — bread

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