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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 · lie · charge · stand · can · ground · spring · face

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. lie — to recline
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ground — crushed
  8. face — to confront
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. ground — a position
  12. can — a tin
  13. ground — the earth
  14. face — to point toward
  15. charge — a price
  16. spring — of water
  17. charge — electricity
  18. spring — the season
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. face — part of the head
  21. spring — a coil
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. plane — a tool
  24. charge — in control

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