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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: fork · press · wax · bark · bowl · rest · face · plane

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. face — to confront
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. rest — what's left
  10. press — a publisher
  11. fork — in a road
  12. face — part of the head
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. face — to point toward
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — to shout
  19. press — to push
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wax — to grow
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. rest — a break

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