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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. staff — employees
  3. plane — a tool
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. chip — for betting
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bark — to shout
  18. staff — a stick
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. suit — clothes
  22. staff — employees
  23. bore — to tire
  24. branch — a division

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