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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bat — the animal
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. rock — music
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. firm — steady
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. firm — a company
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. deal — to handle
  24. firm — decided

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