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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. face — part of the head
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. face — to confront
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bear — the animal
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. face — to point toward
  10. capital — a city
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. fine — high quality
  13. kick — in football
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. pit — in a race
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. fine — all right
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — money

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