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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. saw — the tool
  4. board — to get on
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. face — to confront
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. board — a committee
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. spell — letters
  18. face — to point toward
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. face — part of the head
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. spell — magic
  24. plane — a tool

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