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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: bound · trunk · plane · present · fall · face · swing · net

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. face — part of the head
  3. present — the time now
  4. bound — tied together
  5. fall — to drop
  6. face — to point toward
  7. swing — music
  8. net — for catching
  9. present — there
  10. swing — in golf
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. fall — to drop
  13. net — after costs
  14. face — to confront
  15. bound — certain
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bound — obliged
  19. net — in sport
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. present — a gift
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. fall — the season

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