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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: chest · clip · coach · suit · plane · bear · toast · nail

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. toast — bread
  3. clip — for paper
  4. clip — a video
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bear — the animal
  9. suit — to fit
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. suit — in cards
  12. clip — to cut
  13. chest — of your body
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. suit — clothes
  18. chest — a box
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. chest — of your body
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. nail — on a finger
  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