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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. plane — a tool
  3. snap — to click
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bark — to shout
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. foot — a measure
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. cell — in biology
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. prune — to trim
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. prune — to trim
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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