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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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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: face · perch · suit · craft · bowl · cap · wake · plane

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. suit — clothes
  5. craft — a skill
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. wake — a trail
  8. cap — of ice
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. cap — a hat
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. cap — a lid
  15. suit — in cards
  16. craft — boats
  17. face — to confront
  18. suit — to fit
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bowl — a football final

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