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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 116 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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. plane — in geometry
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. face — part of the head
  4. key — for a lock
  5. spring — the season
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. spring — of water
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. key — in music
  15. spring — a coil
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wake — a trail
  18. plane — a tool
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. key — the most important part
  22. face — to point toward
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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