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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 120 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: leaves · row · pop · bulb · mate · cabinet · plane · fork

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. pop — soda
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. fork — in a road
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — a partner
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bulb — for light
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. plane — a tool
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. pop — music
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a line
  19. mate — to breed
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fork — to eat with
  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