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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 116 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: wake · deal · spring · plane · coach · bulb · lash · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  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. stand — for spectators
  2. spring — the season
  3. plane — a tool
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. stand — to bear
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — a coil
  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