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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: wound · plane · bark · club · face · bear · dip · last

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. dip — to sink
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. club — a group
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bark — to shout
  11. last — final
  12. bear — the animal
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. club — for dancing
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. last — finally
  17. last — to go on
  18. club — for golf
  19. face — to confront
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. wound — an injury

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