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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. march — the month
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. face — to confront
  7. foot — a measure
  8. march — music
  9. face — part of the head
  10. plane — a tool
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. march — the month
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. vault — a safe
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. face — to point toward
  20. date — the fruit
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. plane — in geometry

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