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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. plane — a tool
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bound — certain
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. pop — music
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. pop — to visit
  10. spell — magic
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pop — soda
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. spell — a short time
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bound — obliged
  18. mate — to breed
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bark — to shout
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bound — tied together
  24. spell — letters

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