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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: coach · stem · deal · track · can · row · plane · face

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  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. stem — of a plant
  2. can — a tin
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. stem — to come from
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. deal — to handle
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. plane — a tool
  12. face — to confront
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. track — a path
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. track — a song
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a line
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. track — to keep track
  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