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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. tube — a container
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — part of the head
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. band — a ring
  7. tube — the underground
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — a measure
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. hand — help
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — of the year
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. plane — a tool
  19. face — to point toward
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. band — a music group
  24. hand — in cards

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