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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: row · plane · safe · coach · wax · bat · chip · fall

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. fall — to drop
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. fall — to drop
  11. chip — to eat
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fall — the season
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. chip — for betting
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a line
  19. plane — a tool
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — in an idiom

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