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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: bowl · plane · roll · object · snap · squash · face · foot

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. face — to point toward
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — an aim
  6. face — to confront
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. roll — a cake
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. face — part of the head
  12. squash — the sport
  13. roll — a list
  14. object — to protest
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. snap — to click
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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