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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. face — part of the head
  4. stem — to come from
  5. net — after costs
  6. clip — for paper
  7. plane — a tool
  8. cue — for pool
  9. face — to point toward
  10. pound — a weight
  11. current — of water
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. cue — a hint
  14. clip — a video
  15. current — happening now
  16. cue — a signal
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. net — in sport
  21. face — to confront
  22. clip — to cut
  23. current — electric
  24. net — for catching

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