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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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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: plane · fork · last · calf · root · wound · bark · chair

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. root — of a word
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bark — to shout
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wound — an injury
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. root — of a plant
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. last — to go on
  17. root — the cause
  18. last — finally
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. last — final
  22. chair — a leader
  23. wound — an injury
  24. calf — a young animal

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