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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: row · coach · fall · lash · plane · mate · jam · court

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. fall — to drop
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mate — a friend
  8. plane — a tool
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. row — a line
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mate — a partner
  16. fall — to drop
  17. row — to paddle
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. mate — to breed
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. court — of law
  22. court — of a king
  23. fall — the season
  24. court — for sport

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