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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. face — part of the head
  3. firm — decided
  4. plane — a tool
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. hand — help
  7. face — to point toward
  8. firm — steady
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. hand — in cards
  11. cell — in biology
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. wind — moving air
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. march — music
  16. firm — a company
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wind — moving air
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. march — the month
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. cell — a phone
  23. march — the month
  24. face — to confront

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