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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. face — part of the head
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. chair — a leader
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. face — to point toward
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. face — to confront
  12. hand — help
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. wake — a trail
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. hand — in cards
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. season — of the year
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. season — in sport
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — with your hand

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