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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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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. degree — temperature
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. spring — of water
  8. plane — a tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. spring — the season
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. spring — a coil
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. prune — to trim
  20. degree — from a university
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. degree — an amount

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