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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  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. plane — in geometry
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. craft — boats
  4. face — part of the head
  5. pitch — completely
  6. march — the month
  7. spring — of water
  8. perch — the fish
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. bear — the animal
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. spring — the season
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bear — the animal
  16. plane — a tool
  17. spring — a coil
  18. face — to point toward
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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