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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 116 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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. face — to confront
  4. charge — a price
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. face — part of the head
  7. charge — electricity
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. can — a tin
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cold — not warm
  12. plane — a tool
  13. season — of the year
  14. can — to be able to
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. face — to point toward
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. can — a tin
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. cell — a phone
  22. season — in sport
  23. cell — in biology
  24. charge — in control

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