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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. mark — a grade
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. shower — to wash
  6. plane — a tool
  7. face — to confront
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. mark — a trace
  13. shower — rain
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. saw — the tool
  16. face — to point toward
  17. chair — a leader
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bass — low music
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bass — the fish
  24. face — part of the head

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