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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. march — music
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. fine — all right
  9. march — the month
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. march — the month
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a list
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bass — the fish
  20. roll — a cake
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bass — low music
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — in geometry

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