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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. march — the month
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. march — the month
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. face — to confront
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. current — of water
  12. vault — a safe
  13. current — happening now
  14. face — to point toward
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. current — electric
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. march — music
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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