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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: ball · track · plane · face · wake · staff · race · can

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  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. face — to confront
  2. plane — a tool
  3. face — to point toward
  4. staff — employees
  5. track — a path
  6. staff — employees
  7. track — to keep track
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — a contest
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. can — to be able to
  15. track — a song
  16. can — a tin
  17. race — humankind
  18. wake — a trail
  19. staff — a stick
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. can — a tin
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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