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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.

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: spell · deal · wound · bear · face · lie · plane · cap

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. plane — a tool
  3. cap — a hat
  4. spell — magic
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. face — to confront
  9. wound — an injury
  10. spell — letters
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cap — of ice
  16. face — part of the head
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. deal — to handle
  21. face — to point toward
  22. cap — a lid
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. spell — a short time

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