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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
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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: stand · season · coach · plane · game · branch · row · bulb

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — a division
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — of the year
  7. row — a line
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. row — to paddle
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a match
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bulb — for light
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. plane — a tool

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