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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. fall — to drop
  4. snap — to click
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. net — in sport
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. plane — a tool
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. net — after costs
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. fall — to drop
  23. net — for catching
  24. bark — to shout

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