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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: plane · dip · swing · cap · fork · spell · bark · squash

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — to shout
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. swing — in golf
  7. plane — a tool
  8. swing — to play on
  9. cap — of ice
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — to crush
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. spell — magic
  16. cap — a hat
  17. dip — to sink
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. cap — a lid
  20. swing — music
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. squash — the sport
  24. plane — an aircraft

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