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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. land — ground
  4. current — happening now
  5. bat — the animal
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. face — part of the head
  8. firm — decided
  9. game — a match
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. firm — steady
  13. face — to point toward
  14. land — a country
  15. firm — a company
  16. can — a tin
  17. land — to come down
  18. face — to confront
  19. current — of water
  20. plane — a tool
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. current — electric
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bat — for baseball

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