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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: plane · wave · net · perch · straw · chest · date · coach

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. net — for catching
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. chest — a box
  10. perch — the fish
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. chest — of your body
  13. date — the fruit
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. chest — of your body
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. net — after costs
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. net — in sport

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