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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. rash — a series
  8. last — final
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. face — to confront
  11. rest — what's left
  12. object — to protest
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rash — hasty
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to point toward
  17. last — finally
  18. rest — what's left
  19. last — to go on
  20. rest — a break
  21. plane — a tool
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — a thing
  24. pit — in a race

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