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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: plane · coach · spell · content · board · spring · chest · nail

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chest — a box
  3. board — a committee
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. spell — a short time
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. spell — magic
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. content — happy
  15. board — to get on
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. spring — a coil
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. plane — a tool
  20. spring — the season
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. spring — of water
  23. content — the amount
  24. spell — letters

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