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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. face — to point toward
  4. dip — to sink
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — shares
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. plane — a tool
  15. game — a match
  16. game — wild animals
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. stock — goods
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. face — to confront
  24. deal — to handle

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