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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. face — part of the head
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. foot — a measure
  6. face — to point toward
  7. firm — decided
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. degree — temperature
  11. face — to confront
  12. lean — thin
  13. firm — steady
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. scale — in music
  16. degree — from a university
  17. plane — a tool
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. degree — an amount
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. lean — to bend
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. firm — a company

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