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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.

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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: swing · mug · bark · root · deal · plane · temple · wake

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. root — of a word
  4. mug — a face
  5. swing — in golf
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — to shout
  10. root — of a plant
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. swing — music
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. root — the cause
  21. deal — to handle
  22. wake — a trail
  23. plane — a tool
  24. mug — to rob

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