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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: hand · plane · snap · face · can · rock · foot · pitch

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. foot — a measure
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. rock — music
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — to confront
  13. pitch — completely
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. hand — help
  17. can — a tin
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. rock — a stone
  21. snap — to click
  22. hand — in cards
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. plane — an aircraft

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