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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 116 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. present — there
  3. row — a line
  4. degree — from a university
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. degree — an amount
  8. face — to point toward
  9. content — happy
  10. present — a gift
  11. degree — temperature
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. content — the amount
  14. present — the time now
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. row — to paddle
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. face — to confront
  20. plane — a tool
  21. wake — a trail
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. face — part of the head
  24. hide — to keep secret

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