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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.

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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 · fall · deal · mine · arm · firm · face · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. face — to point toward
  3. firm — a company
  4. face — part of the head
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. shower — rain
  7. fall — to drop
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. firm — decided
  11. plane — a tool
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. fall — the season
  15. deal — to handle
  16. fall — to drop
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. firm — steady
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. face — to confront
  21. shower — to wash
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mine — for digging

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