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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: present · arm · bear · object · sharp · bowl · plane · bark

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. present — a gift
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. sharp — clever
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. object — an aim
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. object — to protest
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bark — to shout
  15. present — there
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. object — a thing
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. plane — a tool
  23. present — the time now
  24. bowl — a football final

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