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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: face · patient · bark · leaves · plane · safe · scale · prune

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. face — part of the head
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — in music
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bark — to shout
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. plane — a tool
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. face — to point toward
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. face — to confront

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