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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: suit · file · wake · pop · lash · board · plane · coach

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. suit — to fit
  3. pop — to visit
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — a tool
  6. board — to get on
  7. file — a line of people
  8. pop — soda
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. file — a tool
  11. suit — in cards
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. suit — clothes
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — a trail
  23. board — a committee
  24. pop — music

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