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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: face · stock · dip · mug · chair · leaves · plane · clip

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. clip — for paper
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. stock — goods
  6. chair — a leader
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. face — to point toward
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. mug — a cup
  13. clip — a video
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. stock — shares
  16. face — part of the head
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. face — to confront
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. dip — to sink
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. mug — to rob
  23. clip — to cut
  24. mug — a face

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