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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. firm — a company
  5. rush — hurry
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. firm — decided
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. face — to point toward
  10. firm — steady
  11. face — part of the head
  12. object — an aim
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. face — to confront
  15. pound — a weight
  16. object — to protest
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bark — to shout
  19. game — a match
  20. object — a thing
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. plane — a tool
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — wild animals

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