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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. face — to point toward
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. face — to confront
  7. prune — to trim
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. rush — hurry
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. plane — a tool
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. face — part of the head
  14. prune — to trim
  15. key — the most important part
  16. stock — goods
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. chair — a leader
  20. key — in music
  21. stock — shares
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. key — for a lock
  24. nail — for a hammer

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