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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. cell — a phone
  3. track — a path
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fork — in a road
  6. track — to keep track
  7. face — to point toward
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — a tool
  12. mark — a trace
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. track — a song
  16. fall — the season
  17. face — to confront
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. mark — a grade
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. cell — in biology

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