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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 116 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pitch — completely
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. pop — to visit
  8. staff — employees
  9. rash — a series
  10. pop — music
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. staff — employees
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bark — to shout
  16. plane — a tool
  17. pop — soda
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. rash — hasty
  20. staff — a stick
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bark — of a tree
  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