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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: plane · rest · band · face · game · leaves · dip · rush

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. face — to confront
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. game — wild animals
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. face — to point toward
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rest — what's left
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. band — a ring
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. band — a music group
  17. rest — a break
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — a tool
  20. face — part of the head
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — a match
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. dip — to sink

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