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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 116 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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. tube — a container
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. rock — music
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bore — to tire
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bore — to drill
  23. ground — a position
  24. bat — the animal

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