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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 120 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: plane · foot · vault · capital · file · face · net · field

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to confront
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. net — for catching
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. foot — a measure
  8. field — farmland
  9. capital — a city
  10. file — a line of people
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. face — to point toward
  15. field — for sport
  16. file — a tool
  17. field — a subject
  18. plane — a tool
  19. net — after costs
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. vault — a safe
  23. net — in sport
  24. capital — money

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