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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. row — to paddle
  3. rest — what's left
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. row — a line
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bark — to shout
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. ground — the earth
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — a tool

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