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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
468
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 · chest · calf · pop · stock · prune · fan

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. stock — shares
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — a box
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — music
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. pop — to visit
  10. plane — a tool
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. stock — goods
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. prune — to trim
  24. coach — a trainer

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