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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. root — the cause
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. root — of a plant
  10. present — the time now
  11. plane — a tool
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bark — to shout
  21. root — of a word
  22. present — a gift
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bay — a horse colour

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