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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.

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: stick · bark · face · plane · wound · pitcher · track · craft

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. track — a path
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. face — to confront
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bark — to shout
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. track — a song
  19. craft — boats
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. track — to keep track
  22. wound — an injury
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. craft — a skill

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