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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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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: root · stand · bowl · plane · pass · wound · snap · coach

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  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. bowl — a football final
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. stand — to bear
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. wound — an injury
  9. snap — to click
  10. root — of a plant
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. root — of a word
  18. wound — an injury
  19. root — the cause
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a dish
  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