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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. plane — a tool
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. cell — a phone
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — a law
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. branch — a division
  23. cell — in biology
  24. rule — to rule out

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