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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: bank · land · plane · suit · wax · bark · staff · racket

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bank — of a river
  6. staff — employees
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bark — to shout
  10. land — to come down
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. wax — to grow
  13. staff — employees
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bank — for money
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. land — a country
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bank — for money
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. land — ground
  23. suit — to fit
  24. plane — a tool

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