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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. face — part of the head
  3. roll — a list
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. last — final
  6. face — to confront
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. face — to point toward
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. snap — to click
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — a short time
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. spell — magic
  20. last — to go on
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. toast — bread
  23. plane — a tool
  24. roll — a cake

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