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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: rest · plane · coach · march · wound · bore · firm · tube

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bore — to tire
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. rest — what's left
  8. march — the month
  9. plane — a tool
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. firm — a company
  13. tube — a container
  14. firm — steady
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. firm — decided
  18. march — the month
  19. bore — to drill
  20. march — music
  21. rest — what's left
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rest — a break
  24. plane — in geometry

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