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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: saw · hide · ground · plane · craft · squash · coach · sharp

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. ground — a position
  6. squash — the sport
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. plane — a tool
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. ground — crushed
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. saw — the tool
  13. sharp — clever
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — boats
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ground — the earth
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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