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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. face — to confront
  3. wind — moving air
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. wind — moving air
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. face — part of the head
  16. swing — music
  17. net — for catching
  18. face — to point toward
  19. net — after costs
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. roll — a cake
  22. net — in sport
  23. swing — in golf
  24. roll — a list

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