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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: mark · stick · last · plane · snap · coach · tube · band

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. snap — to click
  3. mark — a trace
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. band — a music group
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — a container
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. last — finally
  12. mark — a grade
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. band — a ring
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — final
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. plane — a tool
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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