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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.

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: kid · chair · cue · track · coach · plane · lie · ball

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. track — a song
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. lie — to recline
  8. ball — a dance
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. cue — a hint
  13. kid — to tease
  14. cue — a signal
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a great time
  17. cue — for pool
  18. kid — child
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. plane — a tool

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