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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · cap · row · trunk · face · plane · swing · mouse

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — to paddle
  4. swing — in golf
  5. cap — a hat
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. present — there
  8. swing — music
  9. face — to confront
  10. plane — a tool
  11. face — part of the head
  12. cap — a lid
  13. present — the time now
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. swing — to play on
  16. present — a gift
  17. cap — of ice
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. face — to point toward
  24. plane — in geometry

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