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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. land — to come down
  4. fine — high quality
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. capital — a city
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. branch — a division
  10. face — part of the head
  11. wind — moving air
  12. plane — a tool
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. face — to point toward
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. fine — all right
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. face — to confront
  19. wind — moving air
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. land — a country
  22. capital — money
  23. land — ground
  24. current — electric

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