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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. spell — a short time
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — magic
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. sharp — clever
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bark — to shout
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bass — low music
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bass — the fish
  24. pound — to hit hard

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