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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: hide · plane · track · wind · fan · face · saw · jam

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. saw — the tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. track — to keep track
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. track — a song
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. track — a path
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. face — to point toward
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. face — part of the head
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. plane — a tool
  24. face — to confront

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