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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. plane — a tool
  4. face — to confront
  5. season — in sport
  6. vault — a safe
  7. mate — a partner
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. lie — to recline
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. season — of the year
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bear — the animal
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. capital — money
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bear — the animal
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. capital — a city
  23. mate — a friend
  24. plane — in geometry

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