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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. plane — a tool
  3. last — to go on
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. last — final
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. lie — to recline
  9. last — finally
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. content — happy
  12. rash — a series
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. content — the amount
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to point toward
  21. rash — hasty
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. content — videos and posts
  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