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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: charge · cell · net · pass · ball · plane · dip · face

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. face — to confront
  4. dip — to sink
  5. net — for catching
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. cell — a phone
  8. face — to point toward
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — in control
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. ball — a great time
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. charge — a price
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. cell — in biology
  21. net — after costs
  22. face — part of the head
  23. net — in sport
  24. pass — a permit

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