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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. wake — a trail
  3. charge — a price
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. field — a subject
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. field — for sport
  9. charge — electricity
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — part of the head
  12. can — to be able to
  13. face — to point toward
  14. plane — a tool
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. fork — in a road
  19. charge — in control
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. field — farmland
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. plane — in geometry

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