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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: face · arm · cabinet · suit · plane · roll · spring · tube

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. spring — of water
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. roll — a list
  5. face — to point toward
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. spring — a coil
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. suit — to fit
  15. plane — a tool
  16. suit — clothes
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — a container
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to confront
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. spring — the season
  23. roll — a cake
  24. suit — in cards

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