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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: leaves · coach · shower · stand · bulb · plane · row · cabinet

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stand — to bear
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. row — to paddle
  8. shower — to wash
  9. row — a line
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. shower — rain
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. leaves — lets stay

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