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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: degree · ball · plane · lash · prune · coach · lean · firm

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. firm — a company
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. prune — to trim
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. degree — temperature
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. ball — a dance
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. degree — from a university
  12. firm — decided
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — a tool
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. degree — an amount
  17. lean — to bend
  18. firm — steady
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a great time
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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