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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 120 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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  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. plane — in geometry
  2. snap — to click
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. net — in sport
  6. rest — what's left
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. spell — letters
  9. rest — what's left
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. spell — magic
  13. plane — a tool
  14. spell — a short time
  15. rest — a break
  16. net — after costs
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. net — for catching
  20. season — of the year
  21. face — to point toward
  22. plane — an aircraft
  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