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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. net — for catching
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. plane — a tool
  5. pop — soda
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. net — in sport
  9. wake — a trail
  10. face — to point toward
  11. pit — a hole
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. face — part of the head
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. file — a line of people
  17. net — after costs
  18. pop — music
  19. file — a document
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. face — to confront
  22. file — a tool
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. safe — out of danger

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