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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: bore · saw · rule · plane · mine · coach · net · kid

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. net — for catching
  3. rule — government
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bore — to tire
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. net — after costs
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — to tease
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rule — a law
  22. mine — for digging
  23. net — in sport
  24. bore — to drill

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