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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 · spring · mark · bark · plane · root · last · dip

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. firm — a company
  6. root — of a plant
  7. firm — steady
  8. last — finally
  9. firm — decided
  10. root — the cause
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. last — final
  13. mark — a trace
  14. spring — a coil
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. root — of a word
  17. spring — the season
  18. plane — a tool
  19. dip — to sink
  20. mark — a grade
  21. last — to go on
  22. spring — of water
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bark — to shout

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