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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: object · bark · shower · plane · bore · sharp · pit · last

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. shower — rain
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. object — a thing
  6. bore — to drill
  7. last — to go on
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bore — to tire
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. pit — in a race
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. sharp — clever
  18. object — an aim
  19. bark — to shout
  20. object — to protest
  21. last — final
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. last — finally

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