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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pass — a permit
  4. face — to confront
  5. net — after costs
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. plane — a tool
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. band — a ring
  11. mug — a face
  12. face — to point toward
  13. mug — to rob
  14. tear — from crying
  15. face — part of the head
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. tear — from crying
  18. net — in sport
  19. mug — a cup
  20. band — a music group
  21. fork — in a road
  22. tear — to rip
  23. net — for catching
  24. band — a rubber band

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