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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: plane · land · leaves · tear · object · jam · coach · track

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. object — an aim
  4. tear — to rip
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. tear — from crying
  7. track — a song
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — a thing
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. land — to come down
  13. track — a path
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. tear — from crying
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. land — a country
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — a tool
  20. land — ground
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. track — to keep track
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. leaves — of a tree

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