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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: hand · bowl · rush · net · face · rest · roll · plane

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. rest — what's left
  4. hand — in cards
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. hand — help
  7. rest — a break
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. roll — a list
  11. face — to confront
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. net — in sport
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. net — for catching
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. face — part of the head
  19. roll — a cake
  20. net — after costs
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rest — what's left
  24. plane — a tool

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