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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 116 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 · mark · stock · swing · rush · kick · coach · bass

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. swing — music
  5. stock — goods
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — shares
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — in golf
  19. kick — in football
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — to pay attention

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