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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
468
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: date · face · charge · plane · cap · march · lash · court

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cap — of ice
  4. court — of a king
  5. date — the fruit
  6. march — music
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. charge — a price
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. face — part of the head
  12. charge — electricity
  13. cap — a hat
  14. court — for sport
  15. charge — in control
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — a tool
  19. march — the month
  20. court — of law
  21. cap — a lid
  22. march — the month
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. face — to confront

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