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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. face — part of the head
  4. plane — a tool
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — for catching
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. file — a tool
  13. perch — the fish
  14. fork — in a road
  15. file — a line of people
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. file — a document
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. net — after costs
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — to confront
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. plane — an aircraft

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