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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. lean — to bend
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. lean — thin
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. squash — to crush
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bark — to shout
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rock — music
  20. track — a song
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. plane — an aircraft

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