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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. tear — to rip
  5. plane — a tool
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. tear — from crying
  10. vault — a safe
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. row — to paddle
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. suit — to fit
  19. tear — from crying
  20. row — a line
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. perch — for a bird

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