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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. plane — a tool
  5. clip — to cut
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bulb — for light
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. present — a gift
  11. game — wild animals
  12. clip — a video
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bulb — for light
  15. present — there
  16. bark — to shout
  17. present — the time now
  18. snap — to click
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. game — a match
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. clip — for paper
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. ruler — for measuring

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