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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
468
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: sharp · face · cap · plane · ball · wake · wind · lie

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wind — moving air
  3. ball — a great time
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. face — to point toward
  7. cap — a hat
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. face — to confront
  14. sharp — clever
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cap — of ice
  17. wind — moving air
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. cap — a lid
  22. ball — a dance
  23. wake — a trail
  24. face — part of the head

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