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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. wind — moving air
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. face — to confront
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. staff — employees
  8. game — a match
  9. staff — a stick
  10. face — to point toward
  11. swing — music
  12. staff — employees
  13. game — wild animals
  14. face — part of the head
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. plane — a tool
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. lie — to recline
  20. wind — moving air
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. swing — in golf
  24. dip — to sink

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