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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: plane · rock · board · coach · kid · wound

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wound — an injury
  7. kid — to tease
  8. board — to get on
  9. wound — an injury
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. board — a committee
  14. kid — child
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. coach — a trainer

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