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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 116 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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  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. plane — a tool
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. squash — the sport
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. content — happy
  9. content — the amount
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a leader
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mark — a trace
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bark — to shout
  17. squash — to crush
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. content — videos and posts
  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