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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: ball · bore · perch · bound · tear · face · snap · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — to point toward
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bound — certain
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bore — to drill
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. ball — a dance
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. face — part of the head
  13. tear — to rip
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bore — to tire
  16. perch — the fish
  17. snap — to click
  18. bound — obliged
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. ball — a great time
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. plane — a tool
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bore — gave birth

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