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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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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: foot · key · cap · board · pound · face · plane · fork

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. cap — of ice
  3. board — a committee
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. cap — a lid
  7. board — to get on
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. pound — a weight
  10. key — in music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. face — part of the head
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. foot — a measure
  17. key — for a lock
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. face — to point toward
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. cap — a hat
  22. plane — a tool
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — to hit hard

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