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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. dip — to sink
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. drill — army training
  5. wake — a trail
  6. perch — the fish
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — the tool
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. swing — to play on
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bark — to shout
  19. swing — music
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. plane — a tool
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bark — of a tree

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