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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.

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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: pitch · plane · snap · fork · saw · face · band · patient

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. saw — the tool
  6. plane — a tool
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. band — a ring
  9. pitch — completely
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. face — to point toward
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. face — part of the head
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. fork — in a road
  19. snap — to click
  20. band — a music group
  21. face — to confront
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. band — a rubber band

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