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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
468
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: jam · bay · plane · field · bark · mark · squash · lie

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. lie — to recline
  4. mark — a grade
  5. field — farmland
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. field — a subject
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bark — to shout
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. squash — the sport
  19. field — for sport
  20. plane — a tool
  21. mark — a trace
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. lie — an untruth

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