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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  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. charge — electricity
  2. chest — of your body
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. mark — a trace
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to point toward
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. last — to go on
  10. face — to confront
  11. charge — a price
  12. mark — a grade
  13. chest — a box
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. last — final
  16. prune — to trim
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. chest — of your body
  19. last — finally
  20. charge — in control
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  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