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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. suit — clothes
  3. hand — in cards
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bark — to shout
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. cell — a phone
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. cell — in biology
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wound — an injury
  16. suit — to fit
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rush — hurry
  22. plane — a tool
  23. suit — in cards
  24. rush — to hurry

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