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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: coach · lash · mouse · tear · prune · stick · plane · hand

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. prune — to trim
  9. tear — from crying
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. plane — a tool
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. tear — to rip
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. prune — to trim
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. hand — in cards
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — part of the body

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