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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 · mine · bear · key · board · current · face · wind

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. current — electric
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — of water
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. plane — a tool
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. face — to point toward
  19. key — the most important part
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. mine — for digging
  23. key — in music
  24. face — to confront

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