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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. spring — a coil
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. spring — the season
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bark — to shout
  11. ball — a great time
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. rash — hasty
  14. roll — a list
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. roll — a cake
  19. spring — of water
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. rash — a series
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rash — on the skin

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