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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. ball — a great time
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. current — happening now
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. race — the arms race
  11. current — of water
  12. plane — a tool
  13. race — humankind
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bark — to shout
  18. snap — to click
  19. current — electric
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. race — a contest

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