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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: lash · coach · trunk · plane · jam · net · vault · game

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. plane — a tool
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. net — in sport
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a match
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. net — for catching
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. vault — a safe
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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