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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: wake · plane · face · ball · bowl · patient

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. face — to confront
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. face — to point toward
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. face — part of the head
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. plane — a tool
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — to roll

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