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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 116 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. plane — a tool
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bass — low music
  7. fall — the season
  8. bass — the fish
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bark — to shout
  17. staff — employees
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fall — to drop
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bass — the instrument

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