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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: coach · pit · rock · snap · plane · file · hand · stick

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. rock — music
  3. plane — a tool
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. file — a line of people
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. snap — to click
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. pit — in a race
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. file — a tool
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. hand — help
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. rock — a stone
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pit — a hole
  24. hand — in cards

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