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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. plane — a tool
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. craft — boats
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. row — to paddle
  10. face — to confront
  11. pit — a hole
  12. craft — a skill
  13. row — a line
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. face — to point toward
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. face — part of the head
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bark — to shout
  23. branch — a division
  24. bay — a horse colour

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