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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: stand · coach · mug · nail · swing · plane · court · saw

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. court — for sport
  6. mug — to rob
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. mug — a cup
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. mug — a face
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — to play on
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stand — to bear
  21. swing — music
  22. court — of law
  23. plane — a tool
  24. court — of a king

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