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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: wave · plane · race · deal · chair · bay · bark · temple

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bark — to shout
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — humankind
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. race — a contest
  24. plane — a 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