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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
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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: wind · coach · arm · perch · roll · plane · fine · bark

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — all right
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. roll — a cake
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. wind — moving air
  10. perch — the fish
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. fine — high quality
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. roll — a list
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bark — to shout
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wind — moving air

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