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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. race — a contest
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. firm — steady
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bark — to shout
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. sharp — clever
  14. firm — a company
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. firm — decided
  21. mine — for digging
  22. race — humankind
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. plane — a tool

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