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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bore — to drill
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. firm — a company
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bore — to tire
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pound — a weight
  24. firm — steady

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