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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. plane — a tool
  3. spring — the season
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. track — a song
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. object — to protest
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wound — an injury
  16. spring — a coil
  17. track — to keep track
  18. object — a thing
  19. spring — of water
  20. track — a path
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. object — an aim
  24. wound — an injury

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