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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. toast — bread
  4. face — part of the head
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. face — to point toward
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. rock — music
  11. plane — a tool
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. spring — of water
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. spring — the season
  21. rock — a stone
  22. pass — a permit
  23. spring — a coil
  24. temple — a place of worship

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