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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: toast · arm · saw · present · face · season · wave · plane

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. toast — bread
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. face — to point toward
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. present — there
  12. face — to confront
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. present — a gift
  17. season — in sport
  18. present — the time now
  19. saw — the tool
  20. face — part of the head
  21. saw — the tool
  22. season — of the year
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. arm — part of the body

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