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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: game · face · date · cabinet · bank · ground · plane · fork

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  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. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to point toward
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bank — of a river
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. ground — a position
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. plane — a tool
  18. game — wild animals
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. game — a match
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — the fruit
  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