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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  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. face — to point toward
  2. face — to confront
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — there
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — in control
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bat — the animal
  12. charge — electricity
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. face — part of the head
  20. present — a gift
  21. ball — a great time
  22. fork — in a road
  23. rush — hurry
  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