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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.

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: sharp · net · plane · coach · bore · pit · staff · shower

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. net — in sport
  5. shower — rain
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. staff — employees
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. staff — a stick
  14. sharp — clever
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. staff — employees
  17. shower — to wash
  18. net — for catching
  19. bore — to tire
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. net — after costs
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pit — in a race
  24. sharp — exactly

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