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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 120 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: firm · plane · fall · bark · mug · cabinet · bass · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fall — the season
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mug — to rob
  7. plane — a tool
  8. mug — a face
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. firm — a company
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. firm — steady
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bass — the fish
  20. firm — decided
  21. bass — low music
  22. bark — to shout
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. plane — an aircraft

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