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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  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. plane — in geometry
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. plane — a tool
  4. spring — the season
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. drill — the tool
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. key — in music
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. spring — a coil
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — army training
  20. key — the most important part
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. key — for a lock
  23. spring — of water
  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