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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. spring — the season
  3. suit — to fit
  4. land — to come down
  5. suit — clothes
  6. land — ground
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. face — part of the head
  9. spring — a coil
  10. pop — to visit
  11. spring — of water
  12. plane — a tool
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pop — soda
  15. face — to point toward
  16. pop — music
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. land — a country
  21. mark — a grade
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. face — to confront
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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