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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: plane · face · mine · saw · coach · stem · fan · lash

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. plane — a tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. face — to confront
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. saw — the tool
  10. face — to point toward
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. face — part of the head
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mine — for digging
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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