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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. wake — a trail
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bark — to shout
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. march — music
  12. mark — a grade
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. march — the month
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. mark — a trace
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. branch — a division
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. march — the month
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. mark — to pay attention

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