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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mark — a trace
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. tear — to rip
  10. deal — to handle
  11. mark — a grade
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. tear — from crying
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rush — hurry
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. hand — help
  18. plane — a tool
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bark — to shout
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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