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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: rule · foot · plane · pop · face · temple · trunk · sharp

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. sharp — clever
  4. pop — soda
  5. rule — government
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. rule — a law
  8. pop — to visit
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. face — to confront
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. foot — a measure
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. pop — music
  17. face — to point toward
  18. plane — a tool
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. temple — side 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