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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: present · lean · lash · bowl · plane · bear · face · chest

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. chest — a box
  8. face — to confront
  9. present — the time now
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. face — part of the head
  12. chest — of your body
  13. face — to point toward
  14. lean — thin
  15. chest — of your body
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bear — the animal
  20. present — there
  21. present — a gift
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bear — to put up with

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