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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. content — happy
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. perch — the fish
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bound — obliged
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. content — the amount
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bark — to shout
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bound — certain
  18. mug — a face
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bound — tied together
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — to rob

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