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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · foot · stick · bark · face · fan · mine · wake

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. face — to confront
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. foot — a measure
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. plane — a tool
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. wake — a trail
  16. face — to point toward
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bark — to shout
  23. face — part of the head
  24. fan — a supporter

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