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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. snap — to click
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. prune — to trim
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. cue — for pool
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bark — to shout
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. plane — in geometry

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