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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. plane — a tool
  3. court — for sport
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. chest — of your body
  6. fine — all right
  7. face — part of the head
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — music
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. face — to point toward
  13. fine — high quality
  14. court — of a king
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. chest — a box
  17. roll — a cake
  18. stock — goods
  19. roll — a list
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. chest — of your body
  23. stock — shares
  24. court — of law

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