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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bore — to tire
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bark — to shout
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. suit — to fit
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. capital — a city
  11. bore — to drill
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. suit — in cards
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. wound — an injury
  21. suit — clothes
  22. wound — an injury
  23. perch — the fish
  24. capital — money

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