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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: net · kid · fall · mark · plane · mine

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. net — after costs
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — to tease
  7. net — in sport
  8. mark — a trace
  9. kid — child
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mine — for digging
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. net — for catching
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mine — belonging to me

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