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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: swing · plane · chest · craft · face · wound · mug · net

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. swing — to play on
  3. face — to confront
  4. swing — music
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. face — to point toward
  8. chest — a box
  9. mug — a cup
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mug — to rob
  12. plane — a tool
  13. craft — boats
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. net — in sport
  17. face — part of the head
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — for catching
  21. swing — in golf
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. mug — a face
  24. craft — a skill

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