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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. roll — a list
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bound — tied together
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. plane — a tool
  12. face — to confront
  13. roll — a cake
  14. bound — obliged
  15. face — to point toward
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bound — certain
  24. bark — to shout

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