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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — to visit
  4. game — wild animals
  5. plane — a tool
  6. game — a match
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. face — part of the head
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. face — to point toward
  14. pop — music
  15. date — the fruit
  16. present — a gift
  17. face — to confront
  18. lie — to recline
  19. present — the time now
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. present — there
  24. kick — in football

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