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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bore — to drill
  4. march — the month
  5. face — to confront
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bore — to tire
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. face — to point toward
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. face — part of the head
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. march — music
  20. bark — to shout
  21. squash — to crush
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. march — the month

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