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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — a cup
  3. plane — a tool
  4. current — electric
  5. current — happening now
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. mug — to rob
  10. chest — a box
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bark — to shout
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. craft — a skill
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. current — of water
  19. craft — boats
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bore — to drill
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. plane — an aircraft

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