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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: rash · roll · chip · spring · lie · bulb · face · plane

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. rash — a series
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bulb — for light
  8. face — part of the head
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. spring — a coil
  11. roll — a list
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chip — to eat
  14. plane — a tool
  15. spring — of water
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bulb — for light
  18. spring — the season
  19. face — to point toward
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. roll — a cake
  22. chip — for betting
  23. lie — to recline
  24. rash — hasty

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