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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: mark · plane · row · wake · wound · board · coach · mate

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. board — to get on
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — a line
  8. board — a committee
  9. mark — a grade
  10. wake — a trail
  11. plane — a tool
  12. mate — a partner
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. mark — a trace
  16. row — to paddle
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wound — an injury
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wound — an injury

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