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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 120 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: squash · fork · wax · plane · drill · bark · cue · face

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. squash — the sport
  5. cue — a signal
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bark — to shout
  9. cue — a hint
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. face — part of the head
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. drill — the tool
  14. face — to confront
  15. drill — a practice
  16. fork — in a road
  17. squash — to crush
  18. face — to point toward
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. cue — for pool
  24. wax — for sculpting

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