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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. ball — a great time
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bulb — for light
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. last — finally
  11. game — wild animals
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. last — to go on
  14. rash — a series
  15. last — final
  16. ball — a dance
  17. plane — a tool
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bark — to shout
  20. game — a match
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. rash — hasty
  24. hide — to keep secret

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