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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: bear · field · bark · fan · shower · plane · rule · bore

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. field — farmland
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bark — to shout
  11. field — a subject
  12. rule — a law
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. shower — rain
  19. field — for sport
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rule — government

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