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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: bark · plane · bank · lie · jam · net · wake · coach

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bark — to shout
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bank — for money
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. net — in sport
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. net — for catching
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. net — after costs
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. jam — in traffic

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