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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. spell — letters
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. mine — for digging
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bore — to drill
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. foot — a measure
  14. spell — magic
  15. plane — a tool
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bore — to tire
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. plane — in geometry

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