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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: coach · mouse · field · bulb · wind · leaves · wake · stand

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. field — farmland
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wake — a trail
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. field — for sport
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. field — a subject
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. leaves — lets stay

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