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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 120 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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. board — to get on
  6. race — a contest
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — the tool
  9. race — humankind
  10. drill — army training
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. race — the arms race
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. mark — a trace
  17. board — a committee
  18. plane — a tool
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. perch — the fish
  21. mark — a grade
  22. wake — a trail
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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