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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. pop — soda
  3. firm — steady
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. net — for catching
  7. spring — the season
  8. pop — music
  9. foot — a measure
  10. face — to point toward
  11. firm — decided
  12. net — after costs
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. spring — a coil
  17. net — in sport
  18. face — to confront
  19. spring — of water
  20. toast — bread
  21. pop — to visit
  22. firm — a company
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. plane — a tool

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