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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. scale — size or range
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. drill — a practice
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. plane — a tool
  13. cell — in biology
  14. season — of the year
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. season — in sport
  17. cell — a phone
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. drill — army training
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. scale — in music
  24. lie — to recline

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