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

Word bank: stick · stand · plane · chest · bark · rock · face · arm

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. chest — a box
  6. bark — to shout
  7. face — to confront
  8. stand — to bear
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rock — a stone
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. rock — music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. face — to point toward
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. face — part of the head
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. plane — a tool
  24. arm — a part of something

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