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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. mate — a friend
  3. plane — a tool
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. march — the month
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. march — the month
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. rule — a law
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bass — low music
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bass — the fish
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. march — music

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