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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a grade
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. net — for catching
  7. face — part of the head
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. mark — a trace
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. net — after costs
  14. squash — the sport
  15. plane — a tool
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. squash — to crush
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. net — in sport
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. face — to confront
  24. track — a path

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