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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. lie — to recline
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. wake — a trail
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. kick — in football
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bark — to shout
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. plane — a tool
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bear — the animal
  24. patient — a sick person

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