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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. roll — a list
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. toast — bread
  7. face — to point toward
  8. scale — size or range
  9. plane — a tool
  10. roll — a cake
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. scale — in music
  17. face — part of the head
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. face — to confront
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. scale — for weighing

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