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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. plane — a tool
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. face — to confront
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — to bear
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. capital — a city
  16. net — after costs
  17. face — to point toward
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. face — part of the head
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. net — for catching
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. capital — money
  24. hide — to keep secret

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