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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. face — to confront
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. wax — to grow
  12. vault — a safe
  13. rash — a series
  14. face — to point toward
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rash — hasty
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. craft — boats
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. lie — to recline
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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