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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
468
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: plane · chest · lean · cell · coach · wake · stand · fan

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cell — in biology
  4. chest — a box
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. chest — of your body
  7. cell — a phone
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. wake — a trail
  11. stand — to bear
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lean — to bend
  17. chest — of your body
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. plane — a tool
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. lean — thin
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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