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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. last — finally
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — part of the head
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. face — to confront
  8. last — final
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. field — a subject
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stock — goods
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. rush — hurry
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. field — farmland
  18. stock — shares
  19. field — for sport
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. last — to go on
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. plane — a tool

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