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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
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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: plane · cap · pop · face · drill · cell · wave · craft

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a lid
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. face — to confront
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. plane — a tool
  7. cell — a phone
  8. face — to point toward
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. drill — army training
  13. craft — a skill
  14. cap — a hat
  15. craft — boats
  16. drill — the tool
  17. face — part of the head
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. cell — in biology
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. pop — music
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. drill — a practice

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