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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 · rash · jam · chip · mine · pass · face · hand

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. pass — a permit
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. rash — a series
  5. face — part of the head
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. chip — to eat
  9. face — to point toward
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. plane — a tool
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. hand — help
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. mine — for digging
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. chip — for betting
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. hand — 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