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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 120 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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. mug — a cup
  6. prune — to trim
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mug — to rob
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bark — to shout
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. plane — a tool
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. mug — a face
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — music
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. safe — out of danger

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