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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 · cue · pop · swing · face · charge · net · plane

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cue — a signal
  3. face — part of the head
  4. net — in sport
  5. plane — a tool
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — in golf
  8. charge — in control
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. net — after costs
  12. charge — a price
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. face — to confront
  15. pop — soda
  16. cue — for pool
  17. net — for catching
  18. face — to point toward
  19. pop — music
  20. charge — electricity
  21. swing — music
  22. cue — a hint
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. pop — to visit

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