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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. plane — a tool
  3. capital — money
  4. staff — employees
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. roll — a cake
  9. dip — to sink
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rush — hurry
  12. face — to point toward
  13. roll — a list
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. staff — employees
  20. face — to confront
  21. staff — a stick
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. capital — a city
  24. face — part of the head

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