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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. suit — in cards
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. suit — to fit
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. suit — clothes
  9. face — to confront
  10. date — the fruit
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. scale — in music
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. scale — size or range
  17. face — part of the head
  18. shower — to wash
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. shower — rain
  22. face — to point toward
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — a tool

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