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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: mark · arm · can · plane · hand · coach · field · shower

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. field — a subject
  3. hand — in cards
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. can — a tin
  6. field — for sport
  7. mark — a trace
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. plane — a tool
  11. can — a tin
  12. mark — a grade
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. field — farmland
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. shower — to wash
  22. can — to be able to
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — part of the body

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