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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 · bat · staff · plane · mug · lie · rash · bark

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rash — a series
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. plane — a tool
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. mug — a cup
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mug — a face
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bark — to shout
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. lie — to recline
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bat — the animal
  24. staff — employees

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