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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
468
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: temple · hand · face · capital · pop · plane · key · snap

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. face — part of the head
  3. pop — music
  4. face — to point toward
  5. key — for a lock
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. snap — to click
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. key — in music
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. pop — to visit
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. plane — a tool
  16. pop — soda
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. face — to confront
  19. key — the most important part
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — money
  24. hand — help

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