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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. scale — in music
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bark — to shout
  6. scale — size or range
  7. chest — a box
  8. mark — a trace
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. chest — of your body
  14. object — to protest
  15. mark — a grade
  16. object — an aim
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. tube — the underground
  22. object — a thing
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

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