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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. staff — employees
  7. lean — to bend
  8. saw — the tool
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. face — to point toward
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. face — part of the head
  14. kick — in football
  15. plane — a tool
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. spell — letters
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. face — to confront
  21. lean — thin
  22. staff — employees
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. plane — an aircraft

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