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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. capital — money
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — a tool
  5. mate — a friend
  6. can — a tin
  7. roll — a list
  8. capital — a city
  9. face — to point toward
  10. roll — a cake
  11. can — to be able to
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. face — to confront
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. face — part of the head
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — to wash
  19. can — a tin
  20. field — farmland
  21. mate — to breed
  22. field — a subject
  23. mate — a partner
  24. field — for sport

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