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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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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 · kid · charge · lean · snap · plane · key · fork

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. face — to confront
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. key — in music
  7. fork — in a road
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. lean — to bend
  10. snap — to click
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to point toward
  13. charge — a price
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. kid — to tease
  16. charge — in control
  17. key — the most important part
  18. kid — child
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. key — for a lock
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. lean — thin
  24. fork — to eat with

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