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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 116 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
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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: plane · prune · race · wound · fall · bore · coach · can

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. fall — to drop
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. wound — an injury
  7. fall — the season
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bore — to tire
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bore — to drill
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. can — to be able to
  15. race — humankind
  16. plane — a tool
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wound — an injury
  19. can — a tin
  20. race — the arms race
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. can — a tin
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. race — a contest

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