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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. face — to confront
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. staff — employees
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. face — part of the head
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. spring — of water
  14. staff — employees
  15. spring — a coil
  16. plane — a tool
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. face — to point toward
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. staff — a stick
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wave — with your hand

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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