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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. last — finally
  8. last — final
  9. spring — a coil
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. branch — a division
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. plane — a tool
  14. last — to go on
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. spring — the season
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. spring — of water
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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