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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.

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: coach · net · plane · mark · sharp · root · cell · lash

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. sharp — clever
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. cell — a phone
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. root — of a plant
  10. plane — a tool
  11. root — the cause
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. net — for catching
  15. root — of a word
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. net — after costs
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. mark — a grade
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. net — in sport
  23. cell — in biology
  24. mark — a trace

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