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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — a tool
  3. fine — all right
  4. key — in music
  5. mate — a partner
  6. wind — moving air
  7. mate — a friend
  8. chip — for betting
  9. mate — to breed
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. key — the most important part
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. face — part of the head
  14. wind — moving air
  15. chip — to eat
  16. face — to confront
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. key — for a lock
  20. face — to point toward
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. fine — high quality

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