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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.

Make a worksheet

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: board · wake · plane · stick · coach · degree · leaves · drill

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. drill — the tool
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. degree — an amount
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. degree — temperature
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. plane — a tool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. board — to get on
  15. drill — a practice
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. degree — from a university
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. wake — a trail
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. drill — army training

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