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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. face — part of the head
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stand — to bear
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. craft — a skill
  7. plane — a tool
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — music
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. face — to confront
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bark — to shout
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pop — to visit
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. craft — boats
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. branch — a division

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