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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bark — to shout
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. mark — a trace
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mate — to breed
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mate — a partner
  23. plane — a tool
  24. mark — to pay attention

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