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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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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: jam · foot · plane · face · capital · toast · object · fall

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. plane — a tool
  5. face — part of the head
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. object — an aim
  9. face — to point toward
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — to protest
  12. capital — money
  13. toast — bread
  14. face — to confront
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. fall — to drop
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. fall — the season
  20. capital — a city
  21. foot — a measure
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. fall — to drop

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