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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bat — the animal
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. object — to protest
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. squash — to crush
  13. pass — a permit
  14. object — a thing
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. tube — a container
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. squash — the sport
  21. plane — a tool
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bark — to shout

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