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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. ground — the earth
  3. mark — a trace
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. face — to confront
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. mark — a grade
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — a position
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. face — part of the head
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. chest — a box
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. chest — of your body
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. chest — of your body
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. face — to point toward
  24. snap — to click

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