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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. field — for sport
  4. face — to point toward
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fall — the season
  7. field — farmland
  8. fall — to drop
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. prune — to trim
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. face — to confront
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. plane — a tool
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. face — part of the head
  20. fall — to drop
  21. field — a subject
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. spell — a short time

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