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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  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. plane — a tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. cap — of ice
  4. net — after costs
  5. face — to confront
  6. cap — a lid
  7. firm — steady
  8. track — a path
  9. mug — a face
  10. firm — a company
  11. mine — for digging
  12. net — in sport
  13. face — to point toward
  14. cap — a hat
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. mug — a cup
  17. track — to keep track
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. net — for catching
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. firm — decided
  23. track — a song
  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