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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 116 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: spell · wound · dip · plane · band · coach · mate · ground

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wound — an injury
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. ground — crushed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. spell — letters
  9. wound — an injury
  10. ground — the earth
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a ring
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. spell — a short time
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. mate — to breed
  19. spell — magic
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. mate — a friend
  23. band — a music group
  24. ground — a position

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