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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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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: ball · season · date · game · face · lean · plane · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. season — of the year
  4. plane — a tool
  5. face — to confront
  6. game — a match
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. saw — the tool
  9. face — to point toward
  10. lean — to bend
  11. game — wild animals
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. ball — a great time
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. ball — a dance
  17. face — part of the head
  18. lean — thin
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. date — the fruit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. season — in sport
  24. date — on the calendar

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