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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. cell — in biology
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. rush — hurry
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. kick — in football
  10. cell — a phone
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bark — to shout
  13. charge — electricity
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. charge — a price
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. plane — a tool
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. charge — in control
  24. cell — in a prison

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