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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: rush · rule · band · present · plane · ground · bark · rest

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  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. ground — crushed
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. rule — a law
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — the earth
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rest — what's left
  9. band — a music group
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. present — there
  13. rest — a break
  14. present — a gift
  15. band — a ring
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rule — government
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — hurry
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. present — the time now
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bark — to shout
  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