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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. roll — a list
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. spring — the season
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. spring — of water
  15. plane — a tool
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bark — to shout
  18. roll — a cake
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — in golf
  22. lie — to recline
  23. spring — a coil
  24. swing — music

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