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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rest — a break
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — army training
  7. fall — to drop
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. drill — the tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. squash — the sport
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. rest — what's left
  18. squash — to crush
  19. rest — what's left
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. fall — the season
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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