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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. mug — a face
  5. bark — to shout
  6. can — a tin
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. mug — to rob
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. roll — a list
  11. mug — a cup
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. roll — a cake
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. spring — the season
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. plane — a tool
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. spring — of water
  24. kick — in football

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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