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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 120 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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. plane — a tool
  4. season — in sport
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pop — music
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. mine — for digging
  9. face — to point toward
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pop — soda
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — a trail
  15. pop — to visit
  16. season — of the year
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. face — to confront
  19. rest — a break
  20. face — part of the head
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mine — belonging to me

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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