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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 120 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 took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bank — of a river
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. mate — a partner
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. current — electric
  10. spell — a short time
  11. current — happening now
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bank — for money
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. current — of water
  18. bank — for money
  19. mate — a friend
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. mate — to breed
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — letters

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