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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bark — to shout
  10. land — ground
  11. face — to confront
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. land — to come down
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pit — in a race
  21. land — a country
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bowl — to roll

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