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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.

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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: row · cabinet · stem · hand · plane · pass · coach · mug

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — to come from
  7. mug — to rob
  8. pass — a permit
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. row — a line
  13. mug — a cup
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. mug — a face
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — a tool
  23. row — to paddle
  24. hand — help

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