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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cold — not warm
  6. mark — a grade
  7. rush — hurry
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. face — part of the head
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bulb — for light
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. cold — an illness
  21. chip — to eat
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — to confront

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