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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. fine — high quality
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. face — to point toward
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. fine — all right
  12. object — an aim
  13. kid — to tease
  14. plane — a tool
  15. date — the fruit
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — a thing
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. deal — to handle
  20. kid — child
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. face — to confront

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