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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  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. plane — in geometry
  2. board — a committee
  3. court — of law
  4. board — to get on
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. court — of a king
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. rock — a stone
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. face — part of the head
  19. court — for sport
  20. wake — a trail
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. dip — to sink
  23. face — to confront
  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