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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: plane · safe · bark · squash · toast · clip · bear · bore

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bear — the animal
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bore — to tire
  6. toast — bread
  7. clip — a video
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bark — to shout
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. clip — for paper
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bore — to drill
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. clip — to cut
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. bore — gave birth

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