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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 120 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: mouse · plane · spring · dip · bark · bay · face · fan

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. plane — a tool
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. spring — a coil
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. face — to confront
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. spring — the season
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. dip — to sink
  20. spring — of water
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. face — to point toward

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