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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: pass · plane · face · wave · chest · rash · lie · calf

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rash — hasty
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. chest — of your body
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. chest — a box
  10. plane — a tool
  11. lie — to recline
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. pass — a permit
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. face — to confront
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. chest — of your body
  22. rash — a series
  23. face — part of the head
  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