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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.

Make a worksheet

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: march · cabinet · spring · leaves · court · present · rest · plane

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. rest — what's left
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. march — the month
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rest — what's left
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. rest — a break
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. court — of a king
  13. present — the time now
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. spring — of water
  16. march — music
  17. spring — the season
  18. court — for sport
  19. present — there
  20. present — a gift
  21. plane — a tool
  22. court — of law
  23. spring — a coil
  24. march — the month

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