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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.

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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: craft · key · leaves · plane · coach · pop · pitcher · fall

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — soda
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. fall — to drop
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. fall — to drop
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. pop — to visit
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — in music
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. fall — the season
  22. craft — boats
  23. key — the most important part
  24. craft — a skill

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