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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 116 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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. land — ground
  3. land — a country
  4. plane — a tool
  5. face — part of the head
  6. squash — the sport
  7. land — to come down
  8. face — to confront
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. band — a music group
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. squash — to crush
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bulb — for light
  24. face — to point toward

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