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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. dip — to sink
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. face — to confront
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. object — to protest
  14. bass — low music
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. object — an aim
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. object — a thing
  22. face — part of the head
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. dip — to dunk

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