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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: stand · plane · coach · land · branch · sharp · mark · lie

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. sharp — clever
  3. plane — a tool
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — a division
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. land — ground
  10. mark — a grade
  11. lie — to recline
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. land — a country
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — to bear
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. mark — a trace
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. land — to come down
  24. coach — a trainer

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