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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. fine — high quality
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. plane — a tool
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — ground
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. land — a country
  17. fine — all right
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — with your hand

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