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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
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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: spell · can · plane · fall · kick · coach · net · face

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. net — after costs
  3. face — part of the head
  4. spell — a short time
  5. fall — to drop
  6. spell — magic
  7. net — in sport
  8. fall — the season
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. can — to be able to
  13. net — for catching
  14. spell — letters
  15. plane — a tool
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. can — a tin
  18. kick — in football
  19. fall — to drop
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  24. can — a tin

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