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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: can · kid · net · fall · plane · coach · present · root

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. plane — a tool
  3. present — a gift
  4. can — a tin
  5. root — of a word
  6. fall — the season
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. present — there
  9. can — to be able to
  10. fall — to drop
  11. net — in sport
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. root — the cause
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. root — of a plant
  18. net — for catching
  19. kid — to tease
  20. net — after costs
  21. present — the time now
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. can — a tin
  24. kid — child

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