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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. last — finally
  3. bore — to tire
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bore — to drill
  6. last — final
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. plane — a tool
  10. last — to go on
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. rash — hasty
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bat — the animal
  23. face — to point toward
  24. rash — a series

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