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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. face — part of the head
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. net — after costs
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. suit — in cards
  10. toast — bread
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. suit — to fit
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. suit — clothes
  18. face — to point toward
  19. net — for catching
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the sport
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. face — to confront
  24. plane — a tool

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