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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: hide · spell · net · fall · face · charge · cue · plane

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. fall — the season
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. charge — in control
  6. net — for catching
  7. spell — magic
  8. cue — a signal
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. face — to point toward
  12. charge — a price
  13. fall — to drop
  14. spell — letters
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. face — part of the head
  17. fall — to drop
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. spell — a short time
  20. face — to confront
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. net — after costs
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. net — in sport

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