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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 120 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bear — the animal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. saw — the tool
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. plane — a tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. face — to confront
  19. degree — an amount
  20. degree — temperature
  21. degree — from a university
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. hand — in cards
  24. coach — a trainer

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