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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — a container
  8. face — part of the head
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. net — for catching
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. net — after costs
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. net — in sport
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. lie — to recline
  23. face — to confront
  24. wake — a trail

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