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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: chest · dip · content · row · squash · plane · pass · face

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. chest — a box
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. row — to paddle
  7. dip — to sink
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to point toward
  10. plane — a tool
  11. chest — of your body
  12. squash — to crush
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. squash — the sport
  15. content — the amount
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. row — a line
  23. face — to confront
  24. content — happy

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