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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: plane · bore · bat · wave · perch · trunk · chest · face

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. chest — of your body
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bore — to drill
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. perch — the fish
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bore — to tire
  10. chest — a box
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. face — to confront
  15. bat — the animal
  16. plane — a tool
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. face — to point toward
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. perch — for a bird

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