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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 120 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: plane · fan · bore · lie · cabinet · staff · shower · net

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. staff — a stick
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. shower — rain
  5. bore — to drill
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. plane — a tool
  13. net — for catching
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. net — in sport
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. staff — employees
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. staff — employees

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