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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: plane · rush · toast · prune · capital · hide · face · game

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — part of the head
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. game — a match
  7. prune — to trim
  8. capital — money
  9. rush — hurry
  10. face — to confront
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. toast — bread
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. plane — a tool
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. game — wild animals
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. prune — to trim
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. prune — the fruit

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