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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. cue — a signal
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. plane — a tool
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. date — the fruit
  10. race — humankind
  11. rash — hasty
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. cue — for pool
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bark — to shout
  17. race — the arms race
  18. rash — a series
  19. cue — a hint
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. race — a contest
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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