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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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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: field · stand · face · safe · plane · sharp · row · bark

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bark — to shout
  6. row — a line
  7. plane — a tool
  8. face — to point toward
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. face — to confront
  17. field — farmland
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — clever
  20. field — a subject
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. field — for sport
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stand — to bear

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