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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: band · straw · stem · plane · toast · drill · suit · coach

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — in cards
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. toast — bread
  11. plane — a tool
  12. suit — clothes
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. band — a music group
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — a practice
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. stem — to come from
  19. drill — the tool
  20. band — a ring
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. straw — a straw man

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