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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. rest — what's left
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — to shout
  7. rest — what's left
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. tube — the underground
  14. snap — to click
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. tube — a container
  21. chair — a leader
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. rest — a break
  24. temple — side of the head

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