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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: chair · fan · kick · board · last · face · straw · plane

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. board — a committee
  4. kick — in football
  5. last — finally
  6. last — final
  7. face — to confront
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. chair — a leader
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. face — to point toward
  13. last — to go on
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. board — to get on
  19. plane — a tool
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. plane — in geometry

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