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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.

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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: stand · plane · ground · lean · coach · ball · chest · mug

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. ball — a dance
  11. stand — to bear
  12. plane — a tool
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ground — the earth
  16. lean — to bend
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mug — a cup
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. mug — a face
  21. ground — crushed
  22. lean — thin
  23. chest — a box
  24. ground — a position

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