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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: face · straw · suit · calf · rush · plane · pop · cap

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — music
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. face — to confront
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. suit — to fit
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pop — to visit
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a hat
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. suit — clothes
  19. face — part of the head
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. suit — in cards
  22. plane — a tool
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. face — to point toward

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