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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. row — a line
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. wax — to grow
  11. board — a committee
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. board — to get on
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. dip — to sink
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. deal — to handle
  22. saw — the tool
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bark — to shout

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