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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
468
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 · face · net · stem · racket · coach · hand · snap

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. net — after costs
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. face — part of the head
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. snap — to click
  14. net — for catching
  15. stem — to come from
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. net — in sport
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — help
  20. face — to point toward
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. hand — in cards
  23. face — to confront
  24. racket — a loud noise

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