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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 120 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.

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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: rock · lie · degree · bark · stem · firm · plane · club

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. lie — to recline
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. stem — to come from
  8. rock — a stone
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — an amount
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. firm — a company
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. firm — decided
  17. rock — music
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — for dancing
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bark — to shout
  24. plane — in geometry

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