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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 116 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. current — of water
  7. current — electric
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — a skill
  15. mate — to breed
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. rule — government
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. plane — a tool
  21. current — happening now
  22. craft — boats
  23. mate — a partner
  24. face — to confront

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