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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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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: stick · deal · face · snap · court · plane · key · kick

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. face — to confront
  6. court — of law
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. kick — in football
  9. plane — a tool
  10. key — the most important part
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. court — of a king
  13. face — part of the head
  14. key — in music
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. key — for a lock
  18. court — for sport
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. face — to point toward
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. snap — to click
  24. plane — in geometry

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