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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. rock — music
  3. bound — tied together
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bound — obliged
  7. present — there
  8. bound — certain
  9. plane — a tool
  10. staff — a stick
  11. present — the time now
  12. rock — a stone
  13. present — a gift
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — to shout
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees

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