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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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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: bark · calf · fine · game · key · plane · dip · shower

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. fine — all right
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. plane — a tool
  5. key — for a lock
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. key — the most important part
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. game — a match
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — to wash
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. key — in music
  17. shower — rain
  18. fine — high quality
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. game — wild animals
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. fine — a penalty

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