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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 120 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. chest — a box
  3. bear — the animal
  4. craft — boats
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. file — a tool
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. plane — a tool
  9. lean — thin
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. lean — to bend
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. file — a document
  18. bark — to shout
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bear — the animal
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. file — a line of people

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