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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. file — a document
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. file — a line of people
  7. field — for sport
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. face — to point toward
  13. rash — a series
  14. face — part of the head
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bulb — for light
  19. field — a subject
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. face — to confront
  22. field — farmland
  23. file — a tool
  24. rash — hasty

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