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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 116 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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pitch — completely
  3. present — the time now
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. present — there
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. present — a gift
  9. plane — a tool
  10. face — part of the head
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. face — to point toward
  16. squash — the sport
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. face — to confront
  20. hand — help
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. hand — in cards
  24. wax — to grow

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