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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: stand · plane · cap · spring · coach · perch · tube · nail

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. stand — on your feet
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. plane — a tool
  5. tube — the underground
  6. spring — a coil
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a lid
  9. stand — to bear
  10. perch — the fish
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. cap — a hat
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. spring — the season
  21. tube — a container
  22. spring — of water
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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