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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — a tool
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. present — there
  8. object — to protest
  9. present — a gift
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. perch — the fish
  14. row — a line
  15. present — the time now
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. object — a thing
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — to shout
  22. object — an aim
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. perch — for a bird

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