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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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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 · bear · perch · bound · bark · sharp · toast · saw

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — certain
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. plane — a tool
  20. toast — bread
  21. bear — the animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. perch — the fish

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