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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. toast — bread
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. mate — to breed
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. mate — a partner
  10. board — a committee
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — hurry
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. face — to point toward
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. face — part of the head
  20. mate — a friend
  21. face — to confront
  22. branch — a division
  23. plane — a tool
  24. board — to get on

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