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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. net — for catching
  3. tube — the underground
  4. net — in sport
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — to protest
  9. net — after costs
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. plane — a tool
  14. fine — all right
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fine — high quality
  18. face — part of the head
  19. object — a thing
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. tube — a container
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bulb — for light

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