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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. hand — help
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bore — to tire

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