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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. plane — a tool
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — goods
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. season — in sport
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. deal — to handle
  21. season — of the year
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. stock — shares

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