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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — a partner
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. face — to point toward
  7. ball — a great time
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mate — to breed
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — steady
  15. face — part of the head
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. fork — in a road
  18. dip — to sink
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. ball — a dance
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. wax — to grow
  23. face — to confront
  24. ball — a round shape

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