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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. swing — in golf
  4. plane — a tool
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. field — a subject
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. field — for sport
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. swing — to play on
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bark — to shout
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. swing — music
  18. field — farmland
  19. stand — to bear
  20. wax — to grow
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. snap — to click

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