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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: plane · stand · craft · wind · face · rest · coach · bowl

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. face — part of the head
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. wind — moving air
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. wind — moving air
  13. craft — a skill
  14. stand — to bear
  15. rest — a break
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — to point toward
  20. plane — a tool
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. rest — what's left
  23. craft — boats
  24. coach — a trainer

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