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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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. cold — not warm
  4. game — wild animals
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bank — for money
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. suit — to fit
  11. cold — an illness
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. face — part of the head
  15. suit — clothes
  16. chair — a leader
  17. game — a match
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. suit — in cards
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bank — for money
  22. face — to point toward
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bank — of a river

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