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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. spring — a coil
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bass — the fish
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bass — low music
  15. spring — the season
  16. face — to confront
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. date — the fruit
  22. plane — a tool
  23. face — to point toward
  24. leaves — lets stay

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