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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: fan · coach · pitcher · snap · ball · wound · plane · mark

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  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. plane — in geometry
  2. ball — a great time
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. ball — a dance
  7. snap — to click
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wound — an injury
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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