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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. spell — letters
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. court — of a king
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. spell — magic
  8. march — music
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. face — to point toward
  12. march — the month
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. plane — a tool
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. face — part of the head
  17. court — for sport
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. court — of law
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. spell — a short time
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — in sport
  24. face — to confront

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