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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  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. spell — magic
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bark — to shout
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. drill — a practice
  8. saw — the tool
  9. spell — letters
  10. drill — army training
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. spell — a short time
  15. plane — a tool
  16. tube — a container
  17. drill — the tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. saw — the tool
  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