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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mark · straw · foot · fine · pop · bark · patient · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pop — to visit
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. mark — a trace
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pop — soda
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. foot — a measure
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. pop — music
  17. plane — a tool
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bark — to shout
  23. mark — a grade
  24. fine — all right

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