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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. toast — bread
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. rock — music
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. key — in music
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. key — the most important part
  13. plane — a tool
  14. face — part of the head
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. face — to confront
  17. rock — a stone
  18. key — for a lock
  19. face — to point toward
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. rock — to move gently

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