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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. key — in music
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. cell — in biology
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. cell — a phone
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. pass — a permit
  18. key — the most important part
  19. spell — a short time
  20. hand — help
  21. plane — a tool
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. key — for a lock
  24. nail — for a hammer

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