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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.

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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: file · drill · net · coach · cell · plane · ball · wind

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. net — in sport
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. drill — the tool
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. drill — army training
  9. ball — a dance
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. cell — a phone
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a tool
  16. net — for catching
  17. ball — a great time
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cell — in biology
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. drill — a practice
  22. file — a line of people
  23. plane — a tool
  24. net — after costs

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