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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 · track · mouse · bark · shower · toast · drill · swing

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bark — to shout
  4. shower — rain
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. swing — music
  8. toast — bread
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — to wash
  12. track — a song
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. drill — the tool
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. track — a path
  18. plane — a tool
  19. swing — in golf
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. drill — a practice
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. toast — the most admired

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