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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.

Make a worksheet

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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. net — in sport
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. mug — a face
  11. net — after costs
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. mug — a cup
  16. net — for catching
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. mug — to rob
  22. plane — a tool
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bark — to shout

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