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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 120 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bark — to shout
  5. swing — to play on
  6. face — to point toward
  7. firm — a company
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — part of the head
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. swing — in golf
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. firm — steady
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. swing — music

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