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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
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: kick · leaves · plane · coach · pass · file · bear · bark

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pass — a permit
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. file — a tool
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. kick — in football
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bear — the animal
  15. file — a line of people
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bear — the animal
  20. file — a document
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — to shout

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