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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. present — there
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bark — to shout
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. present — the time now
  14. staff — employees
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. rock — music
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. rock — a stone
  22. present — a gift
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — a tool

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