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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: plane · spring · coach · vault · sharp · wind · roll · pitcher

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. roll — a list
  5. spring — a coil
  6. sharp — clever
  7. roll — a cake
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. spring — of water
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. plane — a tool
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. spring — the season
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. vault — a safe
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. wind — moving air
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. wind — moving air

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