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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: face · deal · season · squash · roll · clip · hide · plane

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. roll — a list
  4. face — to confront
  5. clip — a video
  6. squash — to crush
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. season — in sport
  11. clip — for paper
  12. squash — the sport
  13. face — to point toward
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. season — of the year
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. clip — to cut
  23. roll — a cake
  24. deal — to handle

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