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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  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. face — part of the head
  2. last — final
  3. last — to go on
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. craft — boats
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. dip — to sink
  8. rash — hasty
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. plane — a tool
  12. face — to point toward
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. craft — a skill
  17. last — finally
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rash — a series
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. rash — on the skin
  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