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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. degree — from a university
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. snap — to click
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bear — the animal
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bear — the animal
  18. degree — temperature
  19. fine — high quality
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. plane — a tool
  22. fine — all right
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. nail — for a hammer

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