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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. pitch — completely
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. saw — the tool
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to point toward
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. plane — a tool
  10. fine — high quality
  11. face — to confront
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. saw — the tool
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. fine — all right
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. foot — the bottom

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