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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. drill — the tool
  4. toast — bread
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bark — to shout
  7. chest — a box
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. drill — a practice
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. chest — of your body
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. drill — army training
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bear — the animal
  24. chest — of your body

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