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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 116 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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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: pitcher · lie · plane · drill · club · bark · wake · squash

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. drill — the tool
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — for golf
  13. plane — a tool
  14. squash — to crush
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bark — to shout
  17. drill — army training
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wake — before a funeral

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