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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
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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: chest · coach · plane · rule · key · wake

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. plane — a tool
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. key — in music
  5. chest — a box
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. key — for a lock
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. chest — of your body
  12. key — the most important part
  13. wake — a trail
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. rule — a law

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