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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. file — a document
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. file — a tool
  9. firm — a company
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. degree — temperature
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. file — a line of people
  16. rock — a stone
  17. firm — decided
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — from a university
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. firm — steady
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. sharp — clever

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