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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
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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: land · plane · coach · wound · firm · spell · fan · pop

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. pop — soda
  3. wound — an injury
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. spell — magic
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. firm — a company
  8. wound — an injury
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — a short time
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pop — music
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. firm — steady
  17. pop — to visit
  18. plane — a tool
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. firm — decided
  22. land — a country
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. land — to come down

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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