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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: field · face · cap · coach · perch · plane · charge · rash

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to point toward
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. rash — hasty
  5. field — a subject
  6. cap — a lid
  7. field — for sport
  8. face — to confront
  9. rash — a series
  10. charge — in control
  11. plane — a tool
  12. charge — electricity
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. field — farmland
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. charge — a price
  18. perch — the fish
  19. cap — a hat
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cap — of ice

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