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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. can — a tin
  6. shower — to wash
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. saw — the tool
  9. content — the amount
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. shower — rain
  12. face — to confront
  13. spell — magic
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. saw — the tool
  16. spell — letters
  17. kick — in football
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. spell — a short time
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. face — part of the head
  23. plane — a tool
  24. content — happy

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