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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: rest · plane · drill · field · stem · current · foot · bark

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. stem — to come from
  6. foot — a measure
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. drill — the tool
  9. current — electric
  10. field — a subject
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. current — of water
  13. bark — to shout
  14. plane — a tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — for sport
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. current — happening now

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