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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 120 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: pass · coach · wake · present · chest · object · plane · arm

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. present — there
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. chest — of your body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. present — the time now
  11. plane — a tool
  12. object — a thing
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. present — a gift
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. object — to protest
  20. pass — a permit
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. chest — of your body
  23. wake — a trail
  24. chest — a box

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