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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: squash · face · foot · plane · game · tube · fine · can

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. tube — the underground
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. face — to point toward
  5. can — to be able to
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. squash — the sport
  10. fine — high quality
  11. game — a match
  12. squash — to crush
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. tube — a container
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. can — a tin
  19. fine — all right
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. face — part of the head
  22. can — a tin
  23. plane — a tool
  24. game — wild animals

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