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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. prune — to trim
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bark — to shout
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mug — to rob
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. object — an aim
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. object — a thing
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. object — to protest
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. cap — a lid
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. plane — a tool
  21. field — for sport
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. field — farmland
  24. mug — a face

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