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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 120 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: stick · rest · plane · face · hide · lean · bark · nail

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. face — to confront
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rest — what's left
  16. lean — thin
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. rest — a break
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bark — to shout
  21. plane — a tool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rest — what's left
  24. face — part of the head

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