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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: plane · last · game · wake · chair · bank · hide · face

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. game — a match
  3. game — wild animals
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. chair — a leader
  8. last — finally
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bank — for money
  17. face — to point toward
  18. last — final
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. face — to confront
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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