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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: coach · net · fork · clip · foot · snap · plane · tube

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. clip — to cut
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. fork — in a road
  9. net — for catching
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. tube — a container
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. net — in sport
  17. foot — a measure
  18. tube — the underground
  19. clip — a video
  20. snap — to click
  21. net — after costs
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. clip — for paper
  24. plane — in geometry

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