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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: rush · stand · arm · coach · plane · lean · degree · pitcher

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rush — hurry
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — to bend
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. degree — an amount
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. lean — thin
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. plane — a tool
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. degree — temperature
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. degree — from a university
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. arm — part of the body

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