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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: dip · mine · coach · plane · land · foot · calf · spring

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. spring — a coil
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. foot — a measure
  8. plane — a tool
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. spring — the season
  11. land — to come down
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. land — ground
  14. spring — of water
  15. mine — for digging
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. land — a country
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. dip — to sink

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