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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 120 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — a tool
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. deal — to handle
  7. charge — a price
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — money
  10. charge — electricity
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. face — to confront
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. charge — in control
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bat — the animal
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. face — to point toward

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