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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 · plane · cabinet · wind · court · fall · ball · march

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. ball — a dance
  3. fall — the season
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. march — music
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. plane — a tool
  10. court — of law
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wind — moving air
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. ball — a great time
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. march — the month
  19. court — of a king
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. court — for sport
  22. march — the month
  23. wind — moving air
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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