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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. net — after costs
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. net — in sport
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. face — to point toward
  7. present — there
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bank — for money
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. toast — bread
  13. bank — for money
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. present — a gift
  17. net — for catching
  18. face — part of the head
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bank — of a river
  21. present — the time now
  22. plane — a tool
  23. date — the fruit
  24. face — to confront

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