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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mouse · fan · cabinet · plane · face · lie · cell · toast

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. face — to point toward
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. cell — a phone
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. face — to confront
  9. toast — bread
  10. face — part of the head
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cell — in biology
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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