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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. can — a tin
  3. face — to point toward
  4. chest — of your body
  5. can — a tin
  6. current — happening now
  7. face — to confront
  8. chest — a box
  9. pit — in a race
  10. land — a country
  11. land — ground
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. plane — a tool
  14. pit — a hole
  15. current — of water
  16. chest — of your body
  17. land — to come down
  18. face — part of the head
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — to crush
  23. current — electric
  24. can — to be able to

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