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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. face — part of the head
  8. fork — in a road
  9. rest — a break
  10. deal — to handle
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. face — to confront
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rest — what's left
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. wind — moving air
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bulb — for light
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bulb — for light
  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