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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.

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: fall · coach · face · pop · plane · trunk · stick · wake

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — music
  3. plane — a tool
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pop — soda
  7. fall — to drop
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. wake — a trail
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. fall — the season
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. face — to point toward
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — part of the head
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. coach — a trainer

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