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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. chest — a box
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. plane — a tool
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. rush — hurry
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. shower — to wash
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bark — to shout
  16. mug — a cup
  17. shower — rain
  18. chest — of your body
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. mug — a face

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