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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: coach · squash · key · tear · fall · plane · bear · perch

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. key — in music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. tear — from crying
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. fall — to drop
  12. tear — to rip
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bear — the animal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. plane — a tool
  17. tear — from crying
  18. squash — the sport
  19. perch — the fish
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. fall — to drop
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bear — the animal

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