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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: face · pit · bank · saw · net · wound · plane · coach

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pit — a hole
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wound — an injury
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. net — in sport
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. face — to point toward
  11. net — after costs
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. face — to confront
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. net — for catching
  16. bank — for money
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bank — of a river
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bank — for money
  22. saw — the tool
  23. face — part of the head
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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