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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. track — a path
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. face — to confront
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. stand — to bear
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. toast — bread
  13. sharp — clever
  14. plane — a tool
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. face — to point toward
  17. ball — a dance
  18. face — part of the head
  19. track — to keep track
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. ball — a great time
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. track — a song
  24. ball — a round shape

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