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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: rock · bark · bore · staff · face · plane · cell · present

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bark — to shout
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. plane — a tool
  6. rock — music
  7. staff — a stick
  8. face — to confront
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. present — the time now
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — a stone
  14. staff — employees
  15. present — there
  16. cell — in biology
  17. present — a gift
  18. cell — a phone
  19. face — part of the head
  20. staff — employees
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to drill
  24. plane — an aircraft

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