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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bark — to shout
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. charge — electricity
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. hand — help
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. charge — in control
  16. sharp — clever
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. pitch — completely
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. charge — a price

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