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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 120 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. face — to point toward
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the sport
  6. rash — hasty
  7. plane — a tool
  8. face — to confront
  9. track — a song
  10. face — part of the head
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. fine — all right
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. rash — a series
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. chest — a box
  19. fine — high quality
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. track — to keep track
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. track — a path

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