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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 120 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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bat — the animal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. craft — a skill
  13. plane — a tool
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — boats
  17. rash — hasty
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. rash — a series
  23. face — to point toward
  24. racket — a loud noise

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