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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pop — music
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bark — to shout
  8. lean — to bend
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pound — a weight
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pop — soda
  17. mark — a trace
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. plane — an aircraft

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