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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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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. fall — to drop
  7. field — a subject
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. plane — a tool
  16. field — farmland
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. fall — the season
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. field — for sport
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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