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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. craft — boats
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bear — the animal
  15. key — the most important part
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. key — in music
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bark — to shout
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. wax — to grow
  23. craft — a skill
  24. plane — a tool

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