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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 116 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. game — wild animals
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. game — a match
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bark — to shout
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. key — in music
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — for a lock
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fall — to drop

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