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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. net — in sport
  3. present — there
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. present — the time now
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. face — to point toward
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. prune — to trim
  16. present — a gift
  17. face — part of the head
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. prune — to trim
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — a tool

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