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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. charge — in control
  3. face — to confront
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. face — to point toward
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. plane — a tool
  10. charge — electricity
  11. tear — from crying
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. charge — a price
  14. scale — in music
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. tear — to rip
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. scale — size or range
  22. pass — a permit
  23. face — part of the head
  24. trunk — of a car

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