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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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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. suit — to fit
  3. march — music
  4. face — part of the head
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. suit — in cards
  8. roll — a cake
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cue — a signal
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. roll — a list
  13. suit — clothes
  14. march — the month
  15. plane — a tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cue — for pool
  18. march — the month
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. face — to point toward
  22. cue — a hint
  23. face — to confront
  24. fan — a supporter

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