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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 common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. can — a tin
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. firm — a company
  10. last — to go on
  11. can — a tin
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. last — finally
  14. firm — steady
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. firm — decided
  17. can — to be able to
  18. last — final
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bark — to shout
  21. pass — a permit
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. plane — in geometry

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