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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 120 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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. craft — boats
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — a tool
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. lie — to recline
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to confront
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stem — to come from
  23. craft — a skill
  24. pit — a hole

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