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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: bowl · jam · trunk · saw · coach · tear · board · plane

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. plane — a tool
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. tear — from crying
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. board — to get on
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. tear — to rip
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. tear — from crying
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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