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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 ________________ took off on time.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. spell — a short time
  4. chip — for betting
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. capital — a city
  7. capital — money
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. root — the cause
  11. face — to point toward
  12. plane — a tool
  13. spell — magic
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fine — high quality
  16. chip — to eat
  17. face — part of the head
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. root — of a word
  20. fine — all right
  21. face — to confront
  22. root — of a plant
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. spell — letters

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