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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pound — a weight
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — part of the head
  6. mate — to breed
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. plane — a tool
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. mate — a partner
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mate — a friend
  15. capital — a city
  16. lie — to recline
  17. face — to confront
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — money
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. racket — for tennis

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