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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. face — part of the head
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — a match
  7. mine — for digging
  8. game — wild animals
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bass — low music
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. plane — a tool
  16. face — to point toward
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bass — the fish
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bass — the instrument

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