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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. firm — decided
  4. capital — money
  5. fine — high quality
  6. mate — a friend
  7. firm — steady
  8. board — a committee
  9. mate — a partner
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. face — to confront
  12. plane — a tool
  13. board — to get on
  14. fine — all right
  15. mate — to breed
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. capital — a city
  19. firm — a company
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — magic
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. face — to point toward

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