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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. plane — a tool
  6. mate — a friend
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. lean — thin
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. mate — to breed
  15. lean — to bend
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mate — a partner
  24. plane — an aircraft

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