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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. face — to confront
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. race — humankind
  6. face — part of the head
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pound — a weight
  10. ball — a great time
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. race — the arms race
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. staff — a stick
  16. race — a contest
  17. ball — a dance
  18. season — in sport
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. deal — to handle
  22. plane — a tool
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. face — to point toward

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