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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: stand · plane · mine · coach · perch · swing · snap · vault

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to click
  4. swing — in golf
  5. stand — to bear
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. mine — for digging
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. plane — a tool
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. swing — to play on
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. vault — a safe
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. swing — music

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