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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
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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: wind · coach · bore · plane · suit · wake · lean · trunk

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. wind — moving air
  5. suit — to fit
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. lean — thin
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bore — to tire
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bore — to drill
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. suit — in cards
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. plane — a tool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wind — moving air
  22. lean — to bend
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. wake — a trail

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