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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 · face · plane · content · fan · stock · bowl · bank

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. face — to confront
  6. stock — shares
  7. bank — of a river
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. plane — a tool
  11. stock — goods
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. content — happy
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. face — to point toward
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. content — the amount
  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