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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: bark · cell · coach · shower · stock · plane · leaves · mouse

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. stock — shares
  10. shower — rain
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. plane — a tool
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — a phone
  15. bark — to shout
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. stock — goods
  21. shower — to wash
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. plane — in geometry

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