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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. hand — in cards
  4. plane — a tool
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. cap — of ice
  7. mine — for digging
  8. key — for a lock
  9. craft — boats
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. cap — a hat
  14. key — the most important part
  15. hand — help
  16. key — in music
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. cap — a lid
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. craft — a skill
  22. face — part of the head
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. plane — an aircraft

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