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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 120 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: trunk · court · last · plane · lie · saw · spring · coach

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. last — finally
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. plane — a tool
  11. court — of a king
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. spring — a coil
  14. last — final
  15. court — of law
  16. spring — the season
  17. court — for sport
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lie — to recline
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. last — to go on
  23. spring — of water
  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