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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. suit — in cards
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. suit — to fit
  5. face — part of the head
  6. suit — clothes
  7. plane — a tool
  8. face — to point toward
  9. chest — of your body
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. chest — a box
  13. fork — in a road
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. chest — of your body
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. vault — a safe
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. face — to confront

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