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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 116 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — to point toward
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. face — part of the head
  12. snap — to click
  13. kid — child
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. plane — a tool
  21. kid — to tease
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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