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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: lean · field · wind · plane · coach · fork · object · lash

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. field — for sport
  3. lean — to bend
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. lean — thin
  11. fork — in a road
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. wind — moving air
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — a thing
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. wind — moving air
  20. field — farmland
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. field — a subject
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. object — an aim

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