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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. cap — a lid
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. ground — crushed
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bank — of a river
  9. ground — a position
  10. current — happening now
  11. face — to confront
  12. scale — size or range
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. cap — of ice
  15. ground — the earth
  16. current — of water
  17. bank — for money
  18. current — electric
  19. face — to point toward
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. face — part of the head
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bank — for money
  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