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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: staff · spell · plane · lean · stand · hand · charge · face

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. charge — a price
  3. face — part of the head
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. face — to confront
  7. staff — a stick
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. spell — letters
  11. charge — in control
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. face — to point toward
  14. charge — electricity
  15. spell — magic
  16. lean — to bend
  17. spell — a short time
  18. stand — to bear
  19. hand — help
  20. plane — a tool
  21. lean — thin
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — in cards
  24. staff — employees

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