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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. drill — the tool
  3. face — to point toward
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. firm — decided
  6. face — part of the head
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — happy
  9. firm — steady
  10. face — to confront
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. drill — a practice
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. drill — army training
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. season — in sport
  19. firm — a company
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. season — of the year
  22. plane — a tool
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. pound — a weight

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