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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bark — to shout
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. face — to point toward
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. face — part of the head
  11. rock — a stone
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. rock — music
  14. roll — a list
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. roll — a cake
  19. bear — the animal
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. face — to confront
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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