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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pass · staff · craft · chair · plane · toast · coach · shower

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. plane — a tool
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. craft — boats
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — a skill
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. staff — employees
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. staff — a stick
  17. shower — rain
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. toast — bread
  20. chair — a leader
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. staff — employees
  24. pass — a permit

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