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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 · leaves · hand · plane · band · row · can · mate

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. mate — to breed
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. mate — a friend
  5. hand — help
  6. row — a line
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. can — a tin
  9. plane — a tool
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. hand — in cards
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. row — to paddle
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. mate — a partner
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. band — a music group
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a ring

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