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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. face — part of the head
  3. shower — to wash
  4. plane — a tool
  5. track — to keep track
  6. face — to confront
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. kid — child
  10. mark — a trace
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. track — a path
  14. track — a song
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. stem — to come from
  18. face — to point toward
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. shower — rain
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. mark — a grade
  24. kid — to tease

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