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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: season · suit · coach · rock · plane · cell · mark · drill

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. mark — a trace
  5. cell — in biology
  6. suit — clothes
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — a phone
  10. rock — a stone
  11. drill — army training
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — in sport
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. suit — to fit
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. rock — music
  21. plane — a tool
  22. mark — a grade
  23. suit — in cards
  24. plane — in geometry

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