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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. face — to point toward
  4. plane — a tool
  5. craft — boats
  6. toast — bread
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. saw — the tool
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. cap — a hat
  12. craft — a skill
  13. cap — a lid
  14. net — in sport
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cap — of ice
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to confront
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. net — after costs
  24. plane — an aircraft

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