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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: board · rock · perch · rest · face · land · cap · plane

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — a country
  3. face — to confront
  4. board — a committee
  5. face — part of the head
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rest — a break
  9. cap — of ice
  10. perch — the fish
  11. cap — a lid
  12. rest — what's left
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — a tool
  15. rock — music
  16. face — to point toward
  17. land — to come down
  18. board — to get on
  19. cap — a hat
  20. rest — what's left
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. board — a flat piece

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