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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.

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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: spell · row · coach · wind · mug · foot · plane · stick

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. row — to paddle
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. mug — a face
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mug — a cup
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mug — to rob
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. spell — magic
  16. row — a line
  17. wind — moving air
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. spell — letters
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. row — a quarrel

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