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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bark — to shout
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — a tool
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. last — final
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. current — of water
  11. fine — high quality
  12. current — electric
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. last — to go on
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. board — to get on
  18. fine — all right
  19. current — happening now
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. board — a committee
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. last — finally
  24. bark — of a tree

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