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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. wake — a trail
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. last — final
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. last — finally
  11. fine — all right
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. fine — high quality
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. last — to go on
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. leaves — to go away

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