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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 116 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. face — to confront
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. field — farmland
  5. plane — a tool
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. face — to point toward
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. present — the time now
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pass — a permit
  16. cell — in biology
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — there
  19. field — for sport
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. face — part of the head
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. field — a subject
  24. mine — for digging

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