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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 116 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bark — to shout
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. plane — a tool
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. spell — magic
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. spell — a short time
  13. mate — to breed
  14. spell — letters
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lean — thin
  17. mate — a friend
  18. lean — to bend
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. lean — to rest against

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