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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. season — of the year
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. game — a match
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bear — the animal
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bear — the animal
  11. ground — the earth
  12. game — wild animals
  13. plane — a tool
  14. face — part of the head
  15. file — a document
  16. mark — a trace
  17. face — to confront
  18. ground — a position
  19. face — to point toward
  20. season — in sport
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a tool

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