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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: cabinet · plane · craft · squash · pitch · kick · snap · face

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. face — part of the head
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. squash — to crush
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. plane — a tool
  10. craft — boats
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. snap — to click
  14. squash — the sport
  15. face — to point toward
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. craft — a skill
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — in football
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. face — to confront
  24. plane — an aircraft

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