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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 120 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: band · chip · lean · face · plane · key · suit · net

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. key — the most important part
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. suit — to fit
  7. key — in music
  8. lean — to bend
  9. suit — clothes
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. band — a ring
  12. key — for a lock
  13. face — to confront
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. net — in sport
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. plane — a tool
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. face — part of the head
  22. band — a music group
  23. face — to point toward
  24. lean — thin

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