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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. cue — for pool
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. vault — a safe
  7. roll — a cake
  8. track — to keep track
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. plane — a tool
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. track — a path
  14. track — a song
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. kid — child
  20. roll — a list
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. kid — to tease
  24. wave — of the sea

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