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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 116 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: plane · face · fork · mark · wave · bat · pitcher · shower

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bat — the animal
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. fork — in a road
  13. mark — a trace
  14. face — to confront
  15. plane — a tool
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. shower — rain
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. shower — to wash
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to point toward
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bat — for baseball

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