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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 120 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: rush · bark · cap · chest · last · plane · leaves · pop

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pop — music
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. last — final
  10. bark — to shout
  11. pop — soda
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pop — to visit
  14. chest — of your body
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. last — finally
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. plane — a tool
  19. last — to go on
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — a lid
  23. chest — a box
  24. rush — hurry

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