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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: mate · hand · row · roll · root · pound · plane · bark

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bark — to shout
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. roll — a cake
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. hand — help
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. roll — a list
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — a friend
  16. root — of a word
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. plane — a tool
  19. row — a line
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. mate — to breed
  22. pound — a weight
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. row — to paddle

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