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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: saw · plane · sharp · fork · face · pop · kid · lean

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. kid — child
  4. fork — in a road
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. pop — soda
  7. face — part of the head
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. lean — thin
  10. saw — the tool
  11. sharp — clever
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. face — to point toward
  16. kid — to tease
  17. plane — a tool
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pop — to visit
  20. lean — to bend
  21. face — to confront
  22. pop — music
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. sharp — with an edge

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