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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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468
Word bank
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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. plane — a tool
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — to come from
  9. pop — soda
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. squash — the sport
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bark — to shout
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — to crush
  24. mouse — for a computer

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