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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 116 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. current — electric
  4. mate — a partner
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. plane — a tool
  8. mug — a cup
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. current — happening now
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. current — of water
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. perch — the fish
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bark — to shout
  19. mate — a friend
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mug — a face
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. mate — to breed

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