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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bark — to shout
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. object — an aim
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. object — a thing
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. mug — a face
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — in a road
  18. object — to protest
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mark — a grade
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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