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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: foot · plane · mug · band · key · wind · face · toast

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. mug — to rob
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. key — in music
  5. mug — a face
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. wind — moving air
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. key — the most important part
  14. band — a music group
  15. key — for a lock
  16. face — part of the head
  17. wind — moving air
  18. foot — a measure
  19. plane — a tool
  20. mug — a cup
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. face — to point toward
  24. band — a ring

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