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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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 — an aircraft
  2. last — to go on
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. prune — to trim
  7. face — to confront
  8. plane — a tool
  9. prune — to trim
  10. face — to point toward
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. row — a line
  13. bear — the animal
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. last — final
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bear — the animal
  19. last — finally
  20. row — to paddle
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bear — to put up with
  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