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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: stick · face · wave · cabinet · bulb · plane · pit · deal

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. face — to confront
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. deal — to handle
  14. face — part of the head
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. pit — in a race
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. face — to point toward
  19. pit — a hole
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bulb — for light

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