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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mug — a face
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. fall — the season
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — a committee
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. board — to get on
  17. mine — for digging
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mug — a cup
  24. spell — magic

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