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

Word bank: bowl · plane · deal · face · race · chest

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  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. chest — of your body
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. deal — to handle
  6. face — part of the head
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. chest — a box
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. race — the arms race
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — to confront
  14. race — a contest
  15. chest — of your body
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. race — humankind
  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