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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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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 · hide · face · capital · race · stick

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. face — to point toward
  3. race — humankind
  4. face — part of the head
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. race — the arms race
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. capital — money
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. face — to confront
  14. capital — a city
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. plane — a tool
  18. race — a contest

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