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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: last · plane · hand · key · pass · lean · bark · coach

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. key — in music
  3. last — finally
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. key — the most important part
  6. plane — a tool
  7. lean — thin
  8. bark — to shout
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. last — to go on
  14. pass — a permit
  15. hand — help
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. last — final
  19. hand — in cards
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. key — for a lock
  24. lean — to bend

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