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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  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. face — to confront
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bore — to tire
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. content — the amount
  10. plane — a tool
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bore — to drill
  13. content — happy
  14. rule — government
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. face — to point toward
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — in music
  22. rule — a law
  23. content — videos and posts
  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