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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  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. object — a thing
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. hand — in cards
  5. object — an aim
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. object — to protest
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. hand — help
  10. track — a song
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bound — obliged
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bound — tied together
  16. track — a path
  17. face — part of the head
  18. mark — a grade
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bound — certain
  22. mark — a trace
  23. plane — a tool
  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