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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — a tool
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. face — to point toward
  8. foot — a measure
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bark — to shout
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — to rob
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. wound — an injury
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. mug — a face
  23. wound — an injury
  24. trunk — of a tree

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