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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. face — to point toward
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. mate — to breed
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. mate — a partner
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. spell — letters
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. face — part of the head
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — thin
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. spell — magic
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. plane — a tool
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. face — to confront
  23. pitch — completely
  24. spell — a short time

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