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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. craft — boats
  3. rest — a break
  4. face — to confront
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pop — to visit
  9. rest — what's left
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. face — to point toward
  12. rest — what's left
  13. spell — letters
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. craft — a skill
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pop — soda
  19. spell — magic
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. spell — a short time
  22. pop — music
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. chip — for betting

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