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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — part of the head
  3. cap — a hat
  4. wind — moving air
  5. suit — clothes
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — thin
  8. cap — a lid
  9. ground — the earth
  10. plane — a tool
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. face — to confront
  14. suit — in cards
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. suit — to fit
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. cap — of ice
  19. ground — crushed
  20. lean — to bend
  21. ground — a position
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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