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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
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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 · mine · fan · present · spell · plane · perch · land

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. mine — for digging
  3. land — ground
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. land — a country
  6. present — a gift
  7. spell — magic
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. present — the time now
  11. face — to point toward
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. land — to come down
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. present — there
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. spell — a short time
  20. plane — a tool
  21. spell — letters
  22. face — to confront
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fan — a supporter

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