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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. track — a path
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. squash — to crush
  9. track — a song
  10. track — to keep track
  11. foot — a measure
  12. face — to point toward
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bear — the animal
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. cold — an illness
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. plane — a tool
  21. squash — the sport
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — part of the head

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