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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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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: drill · plane · face · toast · jam · tear · court · rock

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. rock — music
  3. plane — a tool
  4. rock — a stone
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — part of the head
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. toast — bread
  12. court — of law
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. court — for sport
  19. drill — a practice
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. court — of a king
  23. tear — from crying
  24. jam — a tight spot

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