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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: bark · clip · field · lean · chest · suit · plane · foot

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — for sport
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. clip — to cut
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — to fit
  14. chest — of your body
  15. lean — thin
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. suit — in cards
  18. plane — a tool
  19. clip — a video
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bark — to shout
  22. lean — to bend
  23. field — farmland
  24. clip — for paper

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