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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. firm — decided
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. plane — a tool
  6. face — part of the head
  7. land — a country
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. rock — a stone
  10. face — to confront
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — boats
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. land — to come down
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — steady
  21. face — to point toward
  22. land — ground
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bowl — a football final

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