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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — a thing
  3. lean — thin
  4. ground — a position
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. object — an aim
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bore — to tire
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bark — to shout
  18. plane — a tool
  19. bore — to drill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. lean — to bend
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bore — gave birth

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