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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. face — to point toward
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. plane — a tool
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. clip — to cut
  11. fork — in a road
  12. stand — to bear
  13. snap — to click
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. clip — for paper
  16. face — part of the head
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. mine — for digging
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. clip — a video
  24. mine — belonging to me

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