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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.

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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: club · spell · fan · coach · plane · fine · press · lash

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. spell — a short time
  3. plane — a tool
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. press — newspapers
  7. club — a group
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fine — high quality
  10. spell — letters
  11. fine — all right
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. club — for dancing
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. spell — magic
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. club — for golf
  21. press — to push
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. press — a publisher

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