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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 124 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — all right
  3. rest — a break
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bark — to shout
  6. saw — the tool
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. rest — what's left
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fine — high quality
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rest — what's left
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. band — a ring
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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