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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: plane · land · coach · mine · bore · date · stand · saw

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. stand — to bear
  5. land — to come down
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bore — to tire
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. date — the fruit
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. land — a country
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bore — to drill
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mine — for digging
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. land — ground
  24. coach — a trainer

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