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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 116 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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. fall — to drop
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. season — of the year
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. fall — to drop
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. face — to point toward
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. field — a subject
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. fall — the season
  18. face — part of the head
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. field — farmland
  22. season — in sport
  23. field — for sport
  24. hide — animal skin

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