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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 116 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: nail · mate · plane · coach · leaves · cold · ball · track

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. track — a song
  3. cold — not warm
  4. ball — a dance
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. mate — to breed
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. mate — a friend
  13. track — a path
  14. track — to keep track
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cold — an illness
  20. plane — a tool
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. ball — a great time
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. mate — a partner

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