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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.

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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: plane · arm · mate · face · perch · lean · field · cue

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. field — a subject
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. cue — for pool
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. perch — the fish
  8. cue — a signal
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. lean — to bend
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mate — a partner
  13. plane — a tool
  14. field — for sport
  15. face — part of the head
  16. cue — a hint
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. field — farmland
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. lean — thin
  22. mate — a friend
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — to point toward

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