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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.

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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: spring · plane · stick · pop · coach · stand · safe · shower

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. stand — to bear
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. plane — a tool
  5. spring — the season
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. spring — a coil
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — to visit
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. shower — rain
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pop — music
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. spring — of water
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stand — for spectators

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