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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 120 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: key · coach · craft · nail · field · plane · lean · face

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. face — part of the head
  5. field — farmland
  6. craft — a skill
  7. lean — to bend
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. key — the most important part
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. key — for a lock
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. face — to point toward
  17. field — a subject
  18. key — in music
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. field — for sport
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. face — to confront
  24. nail — for a hammer

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