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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 · bulb · plane · nail · march · scale · tear · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. scale — in music
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. march — the month
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. scale — size or range
  8. board — a committee
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. tear — to rip
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bulb — for light
  15. tear — from crying
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. tear — from crying
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bulb — for light
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. plane — a tool
  24. nail — for a hammer

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