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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: mug · ball · face · plane · chip · bulb · mine · tear

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. ball — a dance
  4. face — part of the head
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bulb — for light
  8. chip — to eat
  9. tear — to rip
  10. face — to confront
  11. mine — for digging
  12. ball — a great time
  13. mug — a face
  14. plane — a tool
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. chip — for betting
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. mug — to rob
  24. face — to point toward

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