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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 116 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: plane · fall · mate · bulb · tube · pitch · leaves · coach

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. mate — a friend
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bulb — for light
  10. fall — the season
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. mate — to breed
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. tube — a container
  22. fall — to drop
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pitch — completely

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