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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: hide · plane · coach · degree · face · pop · rock · pass

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pass — a permit
  5. plane — a tool
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — music
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. degree — an amount
  14. face — part of the head
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. face — to point toward
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. face — to confront
  20. rock — a stone
  21. degree — temperature
  22. pop — soda
  23. rock — music
  24. degree — from a university

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