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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. pound — a weight
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. hand — in cards
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. hand — help
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. plane — a tool
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wake — a trail
  17. rest — a break
  18. bark — to shout
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. rest — what's left
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. vault — a safe
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. wax — to grow

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