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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: tube · plane · key · stick · face · bark · ruler · lean

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. face — to confront
  4. lean — thin
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. key — in music
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bark — to shout
  12. key — the most important part
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. lean — to bend
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. face — to point toward
  19. plane — a tool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. tube — a container
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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