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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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Word bank
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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: club · object · rock · cell · face · jam · bear · plane

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. rock — a stone
  3. club — for golf
  4. object — a thing
  5. face — to point toward
  6. club — a group
  7. cell — in biology
  8. club — for dancing
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. face — to confront
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rock — music
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. object — to protest
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — a tool
  23. face — part of the head
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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