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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · wave · bark · saw · wind · pitch · plane · march

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. saw — the tool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. wind — moving air
  9. march — music
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. march — the month
  17. pitch — completely
  18. march — the month
  19. bark — to shout
  20. plane — a tool
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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