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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 120 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: plane · bore · band · coach · net · hide · dip · mark

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. mark — a trace
  4. net — for catching
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. net — after costs
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bore — to tire
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. plane — a tool
  16. net — in sport
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. band — a ring
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bore — to drill
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. mark — a grade
  23. band — a music group
  24. dip — to sink

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