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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: plane · lie · straw · squash · bear · bowl · hide · bark

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. squash — to crush
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bark — to shout
  18. lie — to recline
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bear — the animal
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bowl — a dish

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