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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bark — to shout
  6. content — happy
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. face — to point toward
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. face — part of the head
  16. content — the amount
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. deal — to handle

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