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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bound — certain
  5. bass — the fish
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — part of the head
  12. root — the cause
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — low music
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — a tool
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. root — of a word
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. toast — the most admired

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