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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. branch — a division
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bark — to shout
  6. plane — a tool
  7. kick — in football
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. ground — crushed
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. craft — boats
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — the earth
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. dip — to sink
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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