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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. face — part of the head
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. chip — to eat
  7. land — a country
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lean — thin
  11. face — to confront
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — happy
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. lean — to bend
  17. land — ground
  18. content — the amount
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. mark — a grade
  23. face — to point toward
  24. land — to come down

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