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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. roll — a cake
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. pitch — completely
  7. last — finally
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. plane — a tool
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. last — to go on
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. last — final
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bark — to shout
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. temple — side of the head

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