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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. file — a line of people
  3. cap — a lid
  4. face — part of the head
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — to fit
  8. cap — of ice
  9. file — a document
  10. suit — in cards
  11. file — a tool
  12. track — a song
  13. plane — a tool
  14. track — a path
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. face — to point toward
  17. cap — a hat
  18. face — to confront
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. court — of a king
  21. dip — to sink
  22. track — to keep track
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. court — of law

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