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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 116 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a face
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. plane — a tool
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. sharp — clever
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. face — to confront
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. face — part of the head
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bark — to shout
  22. face — to point toward
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pass — a permit

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