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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: plane · lash · cabinet · foot · bark · can · ruler · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. can — to be able to
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. march — music
  10. can — a tin
  11. plane — a tool
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. march — the month
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. can — a tin
  24. lash — to lash out

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