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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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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bat — the animal
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bark — to shout
  8. row — a line
  9. row — to paddle
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. fork — in a road
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. pitcher — a jug

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