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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. game — a match
  3. last — final
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cue — a signal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. last — finally
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. roll — a list
  13. last — to go on
  14. cue — a hint
  15. face — to point toward
  16. roll — a cake
  17. cue — for pool
  18. dip — to sink
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. game — wild animals
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. face — part of the head

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