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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. last — finally
  4. face — to confront
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. drill — a practice
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. plane — a tool
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — final
  12. scale — size or range
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. drill — the tool
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. drill — army training
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to point toward
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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