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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 · key · file · pass · hide · cabinet · plane · wake

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. face — to confront
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. file — a tool
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. file — a line of people
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wake — a trail
  14. face — part of the head
  15. key — for a lock
  16. plane — a tool
  17. face — to point toward
  18. pass — a permit
  19. file — a document
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — in music
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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