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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. chest — of your body
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — a box
  6. face — part of the head
  7. plane — a tool
  8. face — to confront
  9. spell — letters
  10. face — to point toward
  11. pitch — completely
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. tear — to rip
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — in music
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — a short time
  24. tear — from crying

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