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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. staff — employees
  3. face — to point toward
  4. wind — moving air
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. last — final
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. face — part of the head
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. face — to confront
  12. last — to go on
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. plane — a tool
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. staff — employees
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. staff — a stick
  23. last — finally
  24. fork — in a road

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