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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bank — for money
  4. rest — what's left
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bark — to shout
  7. saw — the tool
  8. chip — to eat
  9. rest — what's left
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. shower — rain
  12. rest — a break
  13. plane — a tool
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bank — for money
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. bank — of a river

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