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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. current — happening now
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bear — the animal
  6. suit — in cards
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. saw — the tool
  9. face — part of the head
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. saw — the tool
  12. face — to point toward
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. suit — clothes
  16. current — of water
  17. plane — a tool
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. current — electric
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bear — the animal
  23. suit — to fit
  24. face — to confront

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