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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  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. face — to confront
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. stem — to come from
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. staff — employees
  7. charge — in control
  8. plane — a tool
  9. charge — electricity
  10. sharp — clever
  11. spell — letters
  12. face — to point toward
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. charge — a price
  15. spell — magic
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. spell — a short time
  19. staff — employees
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. staff — a stick
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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