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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. plane — a tool
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bore — to drill
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bore — to tire
  10. present — there
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bark — to shout
  13. present — the time now
  14. root — the cause
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. root — of a plant
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. root — of a word
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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