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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 120 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: kid · pass · bound · face · scale · plane · sharp · lie

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. face — part of the head
  4. scale — in music
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. scale — size or range
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bound — certain
  10. face — to point toward
  11. kid — to tease
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. sharp — clever
  18. face — to confront
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bound — obliged
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bound — tied together
  23. plane — a tool
  24. sharp — with an edge

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