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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. face — part of the head
  3. stock — shares
  4. face — to confront
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. plane — a tool
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. can — a tin
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. can — a tin
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. dip — to sink
  17. face — to point toward
  18. stock — goods
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. season — of the year
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. season — in sport

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