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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. land — a country
  4. bark — to shout
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. fall — to drop
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. land — to come down
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fall — the season
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. land — ground
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a partner
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. mate — a friend
  23. plane — a tool
  24. calf — a young animal

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