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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: game · rock · toast · prune · plane · roll · coach · temple

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. game — a match
  5. toast — bread
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. rock — music
  8. prune — to trim
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. rock — a stone
  13. roll — a cake
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. game — wild animals
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. roll — a list
  21. plane — a tool
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. prune — to trim
  24. temple — a place of worship

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