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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. pit — in a race
  3. rush — hurry
  4. land — to come down
  5. season — in sport
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. face — to confront
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. land — a country
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. perch — the fish
  12. current — electric
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. plane — a tool
  15. land — ground
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. face — to point toward
  18. pit — a hole
  19. season — of the year
  20. face — part of the head
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — of water
  24. perch — for a bird

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