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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: firm · ruler · cold · lash · plane · bowl · coach · land

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. land — to come down
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. firm — decided
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cold — not warm
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. firm — a company
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. firm — steady
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. cold — an illness
  24. land — a country

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