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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
468
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: racket · plane · wound · fan · jam · staff · rush · coach

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. plane — a tool
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. staff — employees
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. staff — employees
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. staff — a stick
  24. rush — hurry

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