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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: face · lie · sharp · prune · plane · pop · bark · rash

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. pop — soda
  6. prune — to trim
  7. sharp — clever
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bark — to shout
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. face — to confront
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. pop — music
  16. face — part of the head
  17. rash — a series
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. plane — a tool
  20. rash — hasty
  21. prune — to trim
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. lie — to recline
  24. pop — to visit

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