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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: face · plane · field · lean · club · key · spell · arm

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. spell — magic
  3. face — to point toward
  4. key — for a lock
  5. face — to confront
  6. key — the most important part
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. field — farmland
  9. plane — a tool
  10. spell — letters
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. club — a group
  13. lean — to bend
  14. field — for sport
  15. key — in music
  16. spell — a short time
  17. field — a subject
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. face — part of the head
  21. lean — thin
  22. club — for golf
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. club — for dancing

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