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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.

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: plane · bat · wind · bank · root · coach · drill · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. plane — a tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. root — of a word
  6. bank — for money
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. game — wild animals
  14. drill — a practice
  15. root — of a plant
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bank — for money
  18. root — the cause
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. drill — the tool
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bat — the animal
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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