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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: row · object · stick · plane · chest · face · rush · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. face — part of the head
  5. rush — hurry
  6. object — a thing
  7. mug — a face
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. row — a line
  11. object — to protest
  12. chest — of your body
  13. row — to paddle
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. chest — of your body
  16. face — to point toward
  17. mug — a cup
  18. object — an aim
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. plane — a tool
  23. chest — a box
  24. face — to confront

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