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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. pitch — completely
  6. squash — to crush
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — a measure
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bark — to shout
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. lean — to bend
  21. squash — the sport
  22. lean — thin
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bark — of a tree

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