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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: net · fine · pass · plane · sharp · hand · coach · last

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. net — for catching
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. net — in sport
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. last — finally
  11. fine — high quality
  12. net — after costs
  13. sharp — clever
  14. plane — a tool
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. fine — all right
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. last — final
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. pass — a permit
  23. last — to go on
  24. hand — in cards

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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