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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: lash · file · scale · bank · plane · coach · can · swing

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bank — of a river
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. scale — size or range
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. can — to be able to
  8. file — a document
  9. bank — for money
  10. swing — in golf
  11. can — a tin
  12. bank — for money
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. plane — a tool
  15. file — a line of people
  16. swing — to play on
  17. scale — in music
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. can — a tin
  20. swing — music
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. file — a tool
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. plane — in geometry

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