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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. hand — in cards
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. fine — high quality
  7. chip — to eat
  8. hand — help
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. face — part of the head
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. court — for sport
  13. chip — for betting
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. court — of a king
  16. net — for catching
  17. fine — all right
  18. court — of law
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. net — in sport
  22. plane — a tool
  23. net — after costs
  24. face — to confront

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