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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: tear · mine · stand · bass · coach · plane · date · last

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. last — finally
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bass — low music
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bass — the fish
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. tear — to rip
  14. last — to go on
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. tear — from crying
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. date — the fruit
  20. stand — to bear
  21. last — final
  22. tear — from crying
  23. mine — for digging
  24. date — on the calendar

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