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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.

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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: tear · field · coach · vault · firm · trunk · plane · mate

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. plane — a tool
  4. tear — from crying
  5. firm — a company
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — a friend
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. vault — a safe
  11. firm — decided
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — farmland
  14. firm — steady
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. field — for sport
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. mate — to breed
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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