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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. face — to point toward
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. stand — to bear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. staff — employees
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. branch — a division
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. face — part of the head
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. plane — a tool

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