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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. track — a path
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. track — a song
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lean — thin
  8. toast — bread
  9. rest — what's left
  10. firm — a company
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. track — to keep track
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. rest — a break
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. firm — decided
  22. plane — a tool
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. firm — steady

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