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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 124 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. chest — a box
  3. face — to confront
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — thin
  7. bat — the animal
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. plane — a tool
  15. face — to point toward
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bulb — for light
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. pound — a weight
  24. face — part of the head

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