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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 116 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: hide · plane · band · face · bulb · stock · cabinet · press

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. press — newspapers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. face — to point toward
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stock — shares
  15. bulb — for light
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. band — a music group
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. face — part of the head
  21. stock — goods
  22. press — to push
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a rubber band

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