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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. land — a country
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bark — to shout
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. hand — help
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. land — to come down
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. scale — size or range
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. scale — in music
  20. land — ground
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. hand — in cards

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