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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. mate — a partner
  3. cell — a phone
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a line
  7. bound — certain
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bound — tied together
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bound — obliged
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — a signal
  18. plane — a tool
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. cap — a lid
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. plane — an aircraft

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