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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. hand — help
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. tube — a container
  6. net — in sport
  7. plane — a tool
  8. net — for catching
  9. hand — in cards
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bore — to tire
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bulb — for light
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bore — to drill
  17. net — after costs
  18. bulb — for light
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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