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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: plane · wake · bulb · bark · mate · rock · bay · pound

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. rock — music
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bark — to shout
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. mate — to breed
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mate — a friend
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. pound — a weight
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wake — a trail
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. rock — a stone

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