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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. row — a line
  3. track — a song
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. field — farmland
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. face — to confront
  12. row — to paddle
  13. track — to keep track
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. face — part of the head
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. field — for sport
  18. plane — a tool
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. track — a path
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. face — to point toward
  24. field — a subject

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