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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. face — part of the head
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. face — to confront
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. band — a ring
  11. plane — a tool
  12. cold — an illness
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. band — a music group
  20. cold — not warm
  21. pass — a permit
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — all right
  24. face — to point toward

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