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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: coach · bank · bat · saw · stand · root · race · plane

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stand — to bear
  4. plane — a tool
  5. root — of a word
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. root — of a plant
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bank — for money
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. root — the cause
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bank — for money
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bank — of a river
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. race — a contest
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. race — humankind

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