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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stock — goods
  6. rule — government
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. wound — an injury
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bass — the fish
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rule — a law
  18. stock — shares
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. pound — a weight
  24. face — to confront

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