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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. root — of a plant
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. face — to point toward
  6. scale — size or range
  7. face — to confront
  8. scale — in music
  9. object — to protest
  10. present — a gift
  11. face — part of the head
  12. sharp — clever
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — there
  16. kid — child
  17. root — of a word
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. object — a thing
  20. plane — a tool
  21. root — the cause
  22. kid — to tease
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. sharp — exactly

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