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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. present — a gift
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. mark — a grade
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rush — hurry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. present — the time now
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mark — a trace
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. present — there
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. rest — a break
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — to shout

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