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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. plane — a tool
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bark — to shout
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fork — in a road
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. sharp — clever
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. key — in music
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. key — for a lock
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. key — the most important part
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — a garden tool

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