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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. face — to point toward
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. staff — employees
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. staff — a stick
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. plane — a tool
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. sharp — clever
  17. current — happening now
  18. face — part of the head
  19. current — electric
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. staff — employees
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. face — to confront
  24. current — of water

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