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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. mate — a partner
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. court — for sport
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. rush — hurry
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. court — of law
  14. court — of a king
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. drill — army training
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. drill — the tool
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. drill — a practice

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