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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. face — part of the head
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. craft — a skill
  5. march — the month
  6. fall — to drop
  7. board — to get on
  8. plane — a tool
  9. chip — to eat
  10. face — to confront
  11. chip — for betting
  12. board — a committee
  13. fall — the season
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. march — music
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. fall — to drop
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. craft — boats
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. march — the month
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. face — to point toward

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