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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: plane · rash · straw · pit · face · object · file · sharp

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. face — part of the head
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. object — a thing
  10. file — a tool
  11. face — to confront
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. file — a document
  15. plane — a tool
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. object — to protest
  19. file — a line of people
  20. rash — hasty
  21. face — to point toward
  22. object — an aim
  23. sharp — clever
  24. pit — a hole

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