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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. board — a committee
  6. pop — soda
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. wax — to grow
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. date — the fruit
  14. face — part of the head
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pop — to visit
  17. fork — in a road
  18. board — to get on
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. plane — a tool
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pop — music

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