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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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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: stem · plane · coach · firm · kid · rash · last · bay

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  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. bay — a part of the sea
  2. last — to go on
  3. kid — to tease
  4. firm — decided
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. plane — a tool
  10. last — finally
  11. kid — child
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. firm — steady
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. stem — to come from
  22. firm — a company
  23. last — final
  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