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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: plane · leaves · bank · rest · field · present · degree · coach

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. degree — temperature
  3. present — a gift
  4. bank — for money
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bank — of a river
  7. plane — a tool
  8. degree — from a university
  9. present — there
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. present — the time now
  12. field — farmland
  13. rest — what's left
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — a subject
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. degree — an amount
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. rest — what's left
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bank — for money
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. plane — an aircraft

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