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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: face · march · stand · game · plane · land · wind · field

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — to confront
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. march — the month
  7. land — ground
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. face — part of the head
  10. stand — to bear
  11. march — the month
  12. field — a subject
  13. game — a match
  14. land — to come down
  15. march — music
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. land — a country
  18. wind — moving air
  19. game — wild animals
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — for sport
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. plane — a tool

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