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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: mine · plane · ground · dip · key · tube · rule · coach

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. 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. dip — to dunk
  2. ground — the earth
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. key — for a lock
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. dip — to sink
  8. rule — government
  9. tube — a container
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. rule — a law
  13. plane — a tool
  14. key — in music
  15. ground — a position
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. mine — for digging
  22. tube — the underground
  23. ground — crushed
  24. 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