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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: wake · plane · bark · bat · track · stand · root · object

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. track — a path
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. root — of a plant
  10. stand — to bear
  11. object — a thing
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. object — to protest
  14. bat — the animal
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. track — to keep track
  19. root — the cause
  20. object — an aim
  21. track — a song
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bark — to shout
  24. root — of a word

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