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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 · plane · hide · cue · mouse · field · content · season

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — happy
  4. face — to point toward
  5. season — in sport
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cue — a hint
  8. face — to confront
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. field — farmland
  14. cue — a signal
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. plane — a tool
  20. face — part of the head
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — a subject
  23. season — of the year
  24. content — the amount

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