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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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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: toast · cell · track · bulb · coach · fall · object · plane

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  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. object — a thing
  2. object — to protest
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. cell — a phone
  12. bulb — for light
  13. track — a path
  14. object — an aim
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bulb — for light
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. cell — in biology
  19. track — a song
  20. fall — the season
  21. track — to keep track
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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