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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. fine — high quality
  8. rule — government
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bark — to shout
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. face — to confront
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. face — part of the head
  23. fine — all right
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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