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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. squash — the sport
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. face — to point toward
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. squash — to crush
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. cell — in biology
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. face — part of the head
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. lie — to recline
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. cell — a phone
  23. face — to confront
  24. mine — for digging

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