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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: leaves · cell · clip · plane · pound · present · mug · face

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. cell — a phone
  3. pound — a weight
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. face — to confront
  6. cell — in biology
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. face — to point toward
  9. present — the time now
  10. clip — to cut
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. present — there
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. mug — a face
  15. present — a gift
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. plane — a tool
  18. mug — to rob
  19. clip — a video
  20. clip — for paper
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. mug — a cup
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. cell — in a prison

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