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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 120 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: land · deal · plane · fork · cabinet · wake · face · pass

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. land — ground
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. face — part of the head
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. face — to point toward
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. land — a country
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. face — to confront
  16. deal — to handle
  17. plane — a tool
  18. pass — a permit
  19. wake — a trail
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fork — in a road
  23. land — to come down
  24. deal — an agreement

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